📘 Colloquial German for Beginners
☕ UNIT 4: Im Café
🗣️ Dialogue 1 – Ordering at the Café (Standard German)
Note: This video covers restaurant phrases like ordering coffee, applicable to cafés. Focus on polite requests.
Basic Phrases:
- Guten Tag! – Good day!
- Haben Sie ...? – Do you have ...?
- Ich möchte ... – I would like ...
- Was kostet ...? – How much does ... cost?
- Danke schön! – Thank you!
Anna: Guten Tag! Haben Sie Cappuccino?
Kellner: Ja, natürlich. Möchten Sie etwas essen?
Anna: Ich möchte einen Kuchen, bitte.
Kellner: Cappuccino drei Euro, Kuchen vier Euro.
Anna: Kann ich zahlen, bitte?
Kellner: Das macht sieben Euro.
📝 Translation
Anna: Good day! Do you have cappuccino?
Kellner: Yes, of course. Would you like something to eat?
Anna: I’d like a piece of cake, please.
Kellner: Cappuccino three euros, cake four euros.
Anna: Can I pay, please?
Kellner: That’s seven euros.
🗣️ Dialogue 2 – Casual Café Chat (Colloquial German)
Note: No dialect-specific video available. Use text-to-speech buttons.
Basic Phrases:
- Hey! – Hey!
- Hast du ...? – Got any ...?
- Ich will ... – I want ...
- Was kostet’n ...? – What’s ... cost?
- Danke, passt! – Thanks, that’s good!
Ben: Hey, hast du Kaffee?
Kellner: Klar, ’n normalen oder was Besonderes?
Ben: Ich will ’n Latte und ’n Croissant.
Kellner: Latte vier Euro, Croissant zwei Euro.
Ben: Kann ich zahlen?
Kellner: Sechs Euro.
📝 Translation
Ben: Hey, got any coffee?
Kellner: Sure, regular or something special?
Ben: I want a latte and a croissant.
Kellner: Latte four euros, croissant two euros.
Ben: Can I pay?
Kellner: Six euros.
🗣️ Dialogue 3 – Café Order (Bavarian)
Note: No Bavarian-specific video available. Use text-to-speech buttons.
Basic Phrases:
- Servus! – Hello!
- Hast a ...? – Got any ...?
- I möcht ... – I want ...
- Was kost’ des? – What’s that cost?
- Jo, danke! – Yeah, thanks!
Max: Servus! Hast a an Kaffee?
Kellner: Jo, freilich! An normaln oder an Espresso?
Max: I möcht an Espresso und a Stück Apfelstrudel.
Kellner: Espresso zwoa Euro, Strudel vier Euro.
Max: Kann i zahln?
Kellner: Sechs Euro.
📝 Translation
Max: Hello! Got any coffee?
Kellner: Yeah, of course! Regular or espresso?
Max: I want an espresso and a piece of apple strudel.
Kellner: Espresso two euros, strudel four euros.
Max: Can I pay?
Kellner: Six euros.
🗣️ Dialogue 4 – Café Visit (Swabian)
Note: No Swabian-specific video available. Use text-to-speech buttons.
Basic Phrases:
- Grüß di! – Hello!
- Hosch ...? – Got any ...?
- I will ... – I want ...
- Was koscht des? – What’s that cost?
- Jo, gudd! – Yeah, good!
Emma: Grüß di! Hosch an Tee?
Kellner: Jo, klar! Kräutertee oder schwarzer Tee?
Emma: I will an Kräutertee und a Stück Kuchen.
Kellner: Tee zwoi Euro, Kuchen drei Euro.
Emma: Kann i zohla?
Kellner: Fünf Euro.
📝 Translation
Emma: Hello! Got any tea?
Kellner: Yeah, sure! Herbal tea or black tea?
Emma: I want an herbal tea and a piece of cake.
Kellner: Tea two euros, cake three euros.
Emma: Can I pay?
Kellner: Five euros.
🧠 Vocabulary
Greetings
Standard: Guten Tag
Colloquial: Hey
Bavarian: Servus
Swabian: Grüß di
Meaning: Hello
Ordering and Payment
Standard: Haben Sie
Colloquial: Hast du
Bavarian: Hast a
Swabian: Hosch
Meaning: Do you have
Standard: Ich möchte
Colloquial: Ich will
Bavarian: I möcht
Swabian: I will
Meaning: I want
Standard: Was kostet
Colloquial: Was kostet’n
Bavarian: Was kost’ des
Swabian: Was koscht des
Meaning: How much is
Food and Drink
Standard: Kaffee
Colloquial: Kaffee
Bavarian: Kaffee
Swabian: Kaffee
Meaning: Coffee
Standard: Kuchen
Colloquial: Kuchen
Bavarian: Kuchen
Swabian: Kuchen
Meaning: Cake
Standard: Tee
Colloquial: Tee
Bavarian: Tee
Swabian: Tee
Meaning: Tea
Standard: Croissant
Colloquial: Croissant
Bavarian: Croissant
Swabian: Croissant
Meaning: Croissant
📚 Grammar: Polite Requests & Articles
Der Kaffee (Masculine)
Noun: Der Kaffee (masc.)
Accusative: Den Kaffee
Example: Ich möchte den Kaffee.
Die Tasse (Feminine)
Noun: Die Tasse (fem.)
Accusative: Die Tasse
Example: Ich möchte die Tasse Tee.
Das Croissant (Neuter)
Noun: Das Croissant (neut.)
Accusative: Das Croissant
Example: Ich möchte das Croissant.
Polite Requests (Modal Verb "Möchten")
Explanation: The modal verb "möchten" (to want/would like) is used for polite requests in a café. It is the subjunctive form of "wollen" and is conjugated in the present tense as follows:
Conjugation:
- ich möchte – I would like
- du möchtest – you would like
- er/sie/es möchte – he/she/it would like
- wir möchten – we would like
- ihr möchtet – you all would like
- sie/Sie möchten – they/you (formal) would like
Example: Ich möchte einen Cappuccino, bitte.
Translation: I would like a cappuccino, please.
Example: Möchten Sie etwas essen?
Translation: Would you like something to eat?
Question Formation (Haben Sie & Was kostet)
Explanation: Questions in German often invert the subject and verb. "Haben Sie" (Do you have) and "Was kostet" (How much does it cost) are common in a café. The verb comes first, followed by the subject or object.
Structure: Verb + Subject + Object?
Example: Haben Sie Kaffee?
Translation: Do you have coffee?
Structure: Was + Verb + Object?
Example: Was kostet der Kuchen?
Translation: How much does the cake cost?
Colloquial Note: In informal settings, "Hast du ...?" replaces "Haben Sie ...?" and "Was kostet’n ...?" shortens "Was kostet ...?"
Example: Hast du Tee? / Was kostet’n das Croissant?
🧩 Exercises
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank
Complete the sentences.
- 1. ______ Tag!
- 2. ______ du Kaffee?
- 3. Ich ______ einen Kuchen.
Exercise 2: Match the Phrase
Match phrases to regions.
- 1. Servus
- 2. Grüß di
- 3. Guten Tag
Exercise 3: Translate
Translate to English.
- 1. Was kostet ...?
- 2. Ich will ...
Exercise 4: True or False
Are these statements true or false?
- 1. “Servus” is formal.
- 2. “Ich will” is colloquial.
📖 Reading
Text 1: At the Café (Standard German)
Ein Mann geht ins Café. Er sagt: „Guten Tag! Haben Sie Kaffee?“ Die Kellnerin antwortet: „Ja, natürlich.“ Er bestellt einen Kaffee und ein Croissant. Es kostet fünf Euro. Das Café ist gemütlich.
📝 Translation
A man goes to the café. He says: “Good day! Do you have coffee?” The waitress replies: “Yes, of course.” He orders a coffee and a croissant. It costs five euros. The café is cozy.
📘 Glossary
Mann: Man
Café: Café
Kaffee: Coffee
Kellnerin: Waitress
Croissant: Croissant
Gemütlich: Cozy
🧩 Questions
- 1. Where does the man go?
- 2. What does he order?
Text 2: A Morning in the Café (Standard German)
Eine Frau sitzt im Café. Sie sagt: „Guten Morgen! Ich möchte einen Tee, bitte.“ Der Kellner antwortet: „Wir haben Kräutertee und schwarzen Tee.“ Sie bestellt einen Kräutertee und einen Kuchen. Es kostet sechs Euro. Die Frau liest eine Zeitung.
📝 Translation
A woman sits in the café. She says: “Good morning! I would like a tea, please.” The waiter replies: “We have herbal tea and black tea.” She orders an herbal tea and a piece of cake. It costs six euros. The woman reads a newspaper.
📘 Glossary
Frau: Woman
Guten Morgen: Good morning
Tee: Tea
Kellner: Waiter
Kuchen: Cake
Zeitung: Newspaper
🧩 Questions
- 1. What does the woman order?
- 2. What does the woman do in the café?
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