English at the shop and the café: ready-made dialogues
A few set phrases are enough to shop and order comfortably at a shop or café. Sample dialogues for ordering, asking prices, and paying.
By Aslıgül Aşkın,
You don't need long sentences to speak English at a shop or café; a few set phrases cover ordering, asking prices, and paying. Saying the dialogues out loud once beforehand makes the real moment much easier.
Ordering at a café
Server: “Hi, what can I get you?” You: “Could I have a latte, please?” Server: “Small or large?” You: “Small, please.” Server: “Anything else?” You: “A piece of cheesecake, please.” Server: “For here or to take away?” You: “For here, thanks.”
Play this topicFill the GapsLevel A2At the shop
- “Excuse me, where can I find the rice?”
- “It's in aisle five.”
- “How much is this?”
- “It's two pounds fifty.”
- “Do you have a bigger size?”
- “Can I have a bag, please?”
Paying
- “Can I pay by card?”
- “Cash or card?”
- “Card, please.”
- “Could I have the receipt, please?”
To ask for the bill at a café: “Could we have the bill, please?” (“the check” in American English).
When there's a problem
- “Sorry, I ordered a tea, not a coffee.”
- “Excuse me, this is cold.”
- “I think there's a mistake on the bill.”
Starting with “Sorry” or “Excuse me” keeps a complaint polite.
To keep going, see English at a restaurant: booking, ordering, and paying and Polite English: asking, thanking, and apologising.
Frequently asked questions
“Bill” or “check”?
British English says “bill” and American English says “check”; both are understood.
How do I stay polite when there's a problem?
Start with “Sorry” or “Excuse me” and state the problem briefly: “Excuse me, this is cold.”
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