At a Café
En un Café
After this lesson, you'll be able to:
- ✓Conjugate stem-changing verbs querer (e→ie) and poder (o→ue)
- ✓Order food and drinks politely
- ✓Ask about the menu and prices
- ✓Request the bill and pay
- ✓Use polite phrases in a restaurant or café
Grammar Focus
Essential grammar for this lesson with examples.
Recap: Putting It All Together
You now know food words from Week 9 and how to ask questions from Week 10. Now let's learn to order! For this, you need two very important verbs: querer (to want) and poder (can / to be able to).
Examples:
Querer (to want) - Stem-Changing e→ie
So far, all the verbs you've learned follow regular patterns or are completely irregular (like ser and estar). Stem-changing verbs are different - they're mostly regular, but the vowel in the stem changes in certain forms. There are three types: e→ie, o→ue, and e→i. This week we'll focus on the first two with querer and poder.
Querer (to want) is an e→ie stem-changing verb: the "e" in the stem becomes "ie" in all forms except nosotros and vosotros. If you look at the table below, the changed forms make a boot or shoe shape (la bota) - a handy way to remember which forms change:
querer (to want) - Present Tense
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | (yo) quieroI want | (nosotros) queremoswe want |
| 2nd person | (tú) quieresyou want | (vosotros) queréisyou all want |
| 3rd person | (él/ella) quierehe/she wants | (ellos/ellas) quierenthey want |
The highlighted cells form a boot shape (la bota) - the stem changes everywhere except nosotros and vosotros.
Examples:
Poder (to be able to / can) - Stem-Changing o→ue
Poder follows the same boot shape pattern, but with o→ue. The "o" in the stem changes to "ue" in all forms except nosotros and vosotros:
poder (can / to be able to) - Present Tense
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | (yo) puedoI can | (nosotros) podemoswe can |
| 2nd person | (tú) puedesyou can | (vosotros) podéisyou all can |
| 3rd person | (él/ella) puedehe/she can | (ellos/ellas) puedenthey can |
The highlighted cells form a boot shape (la bota) - the stem changes everywhere except nosotros and vosotros.
Examples:
Ordering Food & Drinks
There are several ways to order in Spanish. Here are the most useful phrases, from casual to polite:
Two ways to order - casual and polite:
Examples:
Asking About the Menu
Combine your question words from Week 10 with restaurant vocabulary:
Examples:
The Bill & Paying
When you're finished, you need to ask for the bill and pay. Here are the key phrases:
Examples:
Polite Language in Restaurants
Good manners make a great impression! Here are essential polite phrases for dining out:
Examples:
Conversation Example
Ana and Pablo order lunch at a café.
🌍 Café Culture in the Spanish-Speaking World
In Spain, bars and cafés are social centers where people meet at all hours. "Una caña" is a small draft beer, "un cortado" is espresso with a splash of milk. Tipping is not expected but rounding up is appreciated - if the bill is €8.50, leaving €9 or €10 is generous. In Latin America, tipping customs vary: 10% is common in Mexico and Colombia, while in Argentina the "cubierto" (cover charge) may be included. Ordering styles differ too: in Spain "¿Me pone...?" is standard; in Latin America "¿Me da...?" or "Quiero..." are more common. One thing is universal: cafés are places to relax, talk, and enjoy - there's no rush!