Learn Hardcore Russian: Мне хочется кофе без сахара.

Both can mean “I want,” but they feel different. Я хочу is a direct, intentional desire (“I want…”), while Мне хочется is more like “I feel like…” / “I’m craving…”—a spontaneous or mood-based desire. Grammatically, хочется is used in an impersonal construction: literally “To me, it is wanted,” so the person who experiences the desire goes in the dative (мне).

What case is мне, and why is it used here?

Мне is the dative case of я. In impersonal “feeling/state” constructions (like мне холодно, мне нравится, мне хочется), the experiencer is expressed in the dative: “to me / for me.” The verb phrase doesn’t have a normal “subject = doer” in nominative; instead, the state/urge is described, and the person affected is in dative.

Why is хочется used in the “-ся” form?

In хочется, -ся helps form an impersonal structure meaning “to feel like / to have an urge.” It’s not reflexive in the “I wash myself” sense here. Compare:

Я хочу кофе = “I want coffee” (straightforward)
Мне хочется кофе = “I feel like coffee” (more like a craving or inclination)

What case is кофе here, and why?

Кофе is the direct object, so it’s in the accusative case. Since кофе is inanimate and (traditionally) masculine, its accusative form looks the same as nominative: кофе. In modern usage, кофе is often treated as masculine (standard) but you’ll also hear neuter colloquially; the form still remains кофе.

Could it also be Мне хочется кофе vs Мне хочется кофейку? What’s the difference?

Yes. Мне хочется кофе is neutral. Мне хочется кофейку uses a diminutive/colloquial form that often adds a casual, cozy, “a little coffee” vibe—like “I could go for some coffee.” It can sound more conversational and less formal.

Why is it без сахара and not без сахар or без сахарa?

The preposition без requires the genitive case: “without (something).” Сахар becomes сахара in the genitive singular. So:

без сахара = “without sugar”
без молока, без соли, без льда, etc.

Does без сахара mean “no sugar at all” or “less sugar”?

Normally без сахара means no sugar at all. If you mean “less sugar,” you’d say something like с меньшим количеством сахара (“with less sugar”) or in a café you might say поменьше сахара (“less sugar, please”).

Is this sentence natural on its own, or does it sound incomplete without “please”?

It’s natural and complete as a statement: Мне хочется кофе без сахара. = “I feel like coffee without sugar.”
If you’re ordering, Russians often add context such as:

Можно кофе без сахара? (“Can I have coffee without sugar?”)
Мне, пожалуйста, кофе без сахара. (“Coffee without sugar, please.”) Your sentence can work as an order, but it can also sound like you’re describing your craving rather than placing a request.

Where can пожалуйста go if I want to be polite?

Common options:

Мне, пожалуйста, кофе без сахара. (very common in ordering)
Кофе без сахара, пожалуйста.
Можно, пожалуйста, кофе без сахара? Putting пожалуйста after the item you want is especially typical in service situations.

What word order is most normal here, and can it change?

Мне хочется кофе без сахара is neutral. Word order in Russian is flexible, and changes often shift emphasis:

Мне хочется кофе. (neutral)
Кофе мне хочется. (emphasis on “coffee” as the thing you want)
Без сахара мне хочется кофе. (emphasis on “without sugar”) In everyday speech, the original order is a safe default.

Could I say Мне хочется кофе без сахару?

In standard modern Russian, без takes genitive: без сахара. The form сахару is a different case form (often linked to partitive/colloquial uses with some contexts), but без сахару is not the normal standard choice. Stick with без сахара.

What’s the difference between Мне хочется кофе без сахара and Мне хочется кофе, без сахара (with a comma)?

Without a comma, без сахара is simply part of the noun phrase: “coffee without sugar.”
With a comma, it can look like an afterthought or clarification in writing: “I feel like coffee—without sugar.” In speech, that would usually come with a pause/intonation change. For a learner, the no-comma version is the regular form.

Can I replace кофе with another drink/food, and does the grammar stay the same?

Yes, the pattern is very productive:

Мне хочется чая без сахара. (tea without sugar) — чая is genitive/partitive-like after “want” in some usages, but чай is also possible depending on nuance/register.
Мне хочется воды. (some water)
Мне хочется супа. (some soup) With foods/drinks, you’ll often hear the genitive form to mean “some” (e.g., чая, воды, супа), but accusative can also appear, especially when the item is seen as a definite object/serving.