How to Order Coffee in Chinese

The 5-minute guide · By Lan, HSK textbook author · August 2026

Ordering a drink is the perfect first real conversation in Chinese: short, predictable, and you get coffee at the end. Here is the complete script — every line the barista will say, and every line you need back.

Step 1 — The barista greets you

你好！你要什么？
Nǐ hǎo! Nǐ yào shénme?
Hello! What would you like?

Step 2 — Order

我要一杯咖啡。
Wǒ yào yì bēi kāfēi.
I'd like a cup of coffee. (我 = I · 要 = want · 一杯 = a cup of · 咖啡 = coffee)

Swap the last word for anything: 茶 chá (tea), 水 shuǐ (water). One pattern, endless drinks.

Step 3 — Size

大杯？小杯？
Dà bēi? Xiǎo bēi?
Large or small? — Answer with just one word: 大 dà (big) or 小 xiǎo (small).

Step 4 — Catch the price

二十块。
Èrshí kuài.
Twenty kuai. (块 kuài is the spoken word for yuan — like "bucks")

Didn't catch the number? Ask: 多少钱? Duōshao qián? — "How much?"

Step 5 — The secret weapon

太贵了！
Tài guì le!
Too expensive! — Say it with a smile. At markets (not Starbucks!) this one phrase can genuinely lower the price.

Step 6 — Pay and say thanks

谢谢！
Xièxie!
Thank you!
Pronunciation note: 咖啡 kāfēi sounds almost exactly like "coffee" — Chinese borrowed the word. You already speak more Chinese than you think.

Now practice — without the pressure

Reading a script is one thing. Handling a real back-and-forth is another. We built two free ways to practice this exact conversation:

☕ Chat with Xiao Li, the AI barista → Or take the full 5-minute first lesson →