The pattern

"Can I get" plus a noun is how Americans order. "Can I get a coffee?" at a counter, "Can I get the check?" at a table, "Can I get a receipt?" at a store. It sounds casual, and it is exactly what the person behind the counter hears all day. "I'd like" is a little more formal; both are polite with "please".

Two small add-ons make it sound natural. Size and details come right after the noun: "Can I get a small black coffee to go?" And "please" goes at the end, not the start. Also note "to go" (American) versus "takeaway" (British).

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

  7. "To go" means you take it away. The British say "takeaway".

  9. Staff flip it around to offer: "Can I get you anything else?"

  10. "Could I get" is the slightly softer version. Equally natural.

Check yourself

1What does "to go" mean?
2Where does "please" usually go?
3At the end of a restaurant meal, what do you ask for?

Practice · 3 min

Order like a local. Prompt on the left, one natural sentence on the right.

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Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.