Jag vill ha kaffe, tack.

I want to have coffee, please.

Breakdown of Jag vill ha kaffe, tack.

• jag: I
• ha: to have
• kaffet: the coffee
• vilja: to want
• tack: please

Questions & Answers about Jag vill ha kaffe, tack.

Why is it vill ha and not just vill or vill kaffe?

In Swedish, vill functions like a modal verb (want to) and must be followed by an infinitive. To want a thing, you say vill ha (want to have) + noun: Jag vill ha kaffe. If you want to do an action, you use vill + verb infinitive: Jag vill dricka kaffe.

Why not vill har?

Because after modal-like verbs (vill, kan, ska, måste, etc.), Swedish uses the bare infinitive, not the present tense. The infinitive of har is ha. So it’s vill ha, not vill har.

Why is there no article before kaffe?

Kaffe is often used as a mass/uncountable noun. In Swedish the indefinite mass form normally has no article: Jag vill ha kaffe = I want some coffee. If you mean one portion, you can specify: en kopp kaffe.

Is kaffe an en-word or an ett-word?

Grammatically, kaffe is neuter (ett). You will see and hear:

• Mass use (no article): kaffe
• Definite: kaffet (the coffee)
• Portion/count use: both ett kaffe (more formal/standard) and, very commonly in cafés, en kaffe (elliptical for en kopp kaffe). Both are widely understood.

Can I say Jag vill ha en kaffe?

Yes, in everyday speech at a café that is natural, because en kaffe is understood as a cup of coffee. More textbook-like alternatives:

• Jag vill ha ett kaffe.
• Jag vill ha en kopp kaffe. (safest and always correct)

How do I ask for two coffees?

Common options:

• Två kaffe, tack. (very common in cafés; treats kaffe as countable portions)
• Två koppar kaffe, tack. (explicit and always correct) Avoid två kaffor.

Is tack the same as English please?

Not exactly. Tack literally means thanks, but Swedes often place it at the end of a request to make it polite: …, tack. Other notes:

• snälla is a pleading please, more emotional or used to children.
• vänligen is formal/written.
• gärna means gladly and is used to accept an offer: Vill du ha kaffe? – Ja, gärna.

Do I need the comma before tack?

It’s common to set off interjections with a comma, so Jag vill ha kaffe, tack. is standard. You can also put tack first: Tack, jag vill ha kaffe. The comma is stylistic, not a strict rule.

Is Jag vill ha kaffe polite enough?

With tack, yes. Without tack, it can sound blunt when speaking to a person. Even more polite/phrasal alternatives:

• Kan jag få en kopp kaffe, tack?
• Jag skulle vilja ha en kopp kaffe, tack.
• Skulle jag kunna få en kaffe, tack?

Can I drop jag and just say Vill ha kaffe, tack?

Generally no. Swedish normally requires an explicit subject. Vill ha kaffe sounds childlike or telegraphic. A natural short order is En kaffe, tack or Kaffe, tack.

How is this pronounced?

Approximate pronunciations:

• Jag: often [jɑː] (the g is usually silent in casual speech)
• vill: [vɪl] (short i)
• ha: [hɑː] (long a)
• kaffe: [ˈkafːɛ] (stress on first syllable; double ff makes the a short)
• tack: [takː] (short a, long k sound) Saying it smoothly: [jɑː vɪl hɑː ˈkafːɛ takː].

What about word order?

Swedish main clauses are verb‑second (V2). The finite verb vill comes in the second position: Jag vill ha kaffe. If you front something else, the verb still comes second: Idag vill jag ha kaffe.

How do I negate it?

Place inte after the finite verb vill: Jag vill inte ha kaffe, tack.

What is the definite form of kaffe?

kaffet = the coffee. Examples:

• Kaffet är varmt. (The coffee is hot.)
• Jag tar kaffet. (I’ll take the coffee.)

Should I use ha or få when ordering?

Both are fine, but they nuance differently:

• Jag vill ha kaffe, tack. (I want to have coffee.)
• Kan jag få kaffe, tack? or Skulle jag kunna få kaffe, tack? (May/Could I get coffee?) These often sound a bit more politely tentative.

What’s the difference between vill ha kaffe and vill dricka kaffe?

• vill ha kaffe: you want the thing (coffee), typically for ordering or expressing desire for a beverage.
• vill dricka kaffe: you want the action of drinking coffee. Both are correct, but in a café you’d normally use vill ha.

Why is Jag capitalized here? Is it always capitalized like English I?

Swedish pronouns are not capitalized in the middle of a sentence. jag is capitalized here only because it starts the sentence. Example: Idag vill jag ha kaffe.