LinguaFour ways to ask, and how far apart they are
Russian has no single polite formula for a cafe. It has a short scale, and every waiter hears where on it you stand. Можно asks permission and is the gentlest thing you can say; Дайте is a command softened by пожалуйста; я буду is the neutral order; я хочу states a want and is best kept for people you know.
| Way of asking | How it lands | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| Можно меню? | the softest of all | any small request |
| Дайте, пожалуйста, меню. | direct but polite | the ordinary request |
| Я буду салат. | a neutral order | choosing from the menu |
| Я хочу салат. | a little blunt | among friends only |
The visit, from the door to the door
A meal out has four moments, and each one has a line that fits it. Learn them in that order and you will never have to invent a sentence at the table: the menu comes first, the choice second, whatever is missing third, and the bill last.
| Moment of the visit | What you say |
|---|---|
| you have just sat down | Можно меню? |
| you have chosen | Я буду суп. |
| something is missing | Дайте, пожалуйста, соль. |
| the meal is over | Счёт, пожалуйста. |
Why a command can be the polite choice
Дайте is a real imperative, and in English an order without a softener sounds harsh. In Russian the softener is пожалуйста, and with it the imperative is the normal, friendly way to ask a professional for something. Leaving it out is what turns the line curt, not the verb itself.
Дайте, пожалуйста, меню.The menu, please.
Официант, можно счёт?Waiter, may we have the bill?
Words in this lesson
| Word | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| дайте | give me, may I have | Дайте два чая, пожалуйста. Two teas, please. |
| можно | may I, is it allowed | Можно вас спросить? May I ask you something? |
| меню | menu | Меню лежит на столе. The menu is lying on the table. |
| счёт | bill, check | Где наш счёт? Where is our bill? |
| официант | waiter | Официант уже идёт. The waiter is on his way. |
| заказать | to order | Мы хотим заказать ужин. We want to order dinner. |
| порция | portion, helping | Порция очень большая. The portion is very big. |
| сладкий | sweet | Этот чай слишком сладкий. This tea is too sweet. |
| солёный | salty | Суп немного солёный. The soup is a little salty. |
| кафе | cafe | Кафе работает до полуночи. The cafe is open until midnight. |
Exercises
This lesson has 10 exercises in the app:
- multiple choice: 3
- match the pairs: 1
- fill the gap: 2
- build the sentence: 1
- translate the sentence: 2
- listen and type: 1
Try the first one
Which request for the menu is the gentlest?
The answer, the other exercises, the audio and your progress are in the app – free at A0 and A1.