A1-14 · Order politely with möchte

At the café

Ask for drinks and cake and use the common möchte forms.

About 5 minutes to read · 12 quiz questions

A polite wish

Ich möchte means I would like. It is a useful polite way to order. Bitte makes the request friendly.

Ich möchte Kaffee, bitte.

I would like coffee, please.

Mara möchte Tee.

Mara would like tea.

Ich möchte Wasser, bitte.

I would like water, please.

Ben möchte Kuchen.

Ben would like cake.

Use ich möchte and er/sie möchte without an extra -t. Kaffee means coffee, Tee means tea and Wasser means water.

Put the verb first in a yes/no question. Use du with a friend and Sie with someone you address politely.

Möchtest du Tee?

Would you like tea?

Möchten Sie Kaffee?

Would you like coffee?

Wir möchten Wasser.

We would like water.

Möchtet ihr Kuchen?

Would you all like cake?

The forms are du möchtest, ihr möchtet and Sie möchten. With wir, use möchten too.

Use short phrases to make an order clear. These examples teach mit Milch and ohne Zucker as useful whole phrases.

Ich möchte Kaffee mit Milch.

I would like coffee with milk.

Ich möchte Tee ohne Zucker.

I would like tea without sugar.

Die Rechnung, bitte.

The bill, please.

Möchten Sie noch etwas?

Would you like anything else?

Milch means milk, Zucker means sugar, and die Rechnung is the bill. Noch etwas means anything else.

Check what you remember with 12 short questions.