Can You Order at Starbucks in English? Essential Phrases from Basic Orders to Customizations
When traveling abroad, visiting a local Starbucks can be a fun and exciting experience. And if you're a fan of customizations, you'll love how you can personalize your drink. Want to switch to soy milk, or ask for extra whipped cream? Starbucks is known for letting you make these tweaks to your drinks, but how do you say these things in English?
In this post, we’ll walk you through some key English phrases that will help you order your Starbucks drinks smoothly, from basic orders to customizations.
How to Order at Starbucks: Basic English Phrases
Let’s start with a simple, no-frills order. When it's your turn, the barista will usually greet you with a friendly smile.
Barista:
"Hi! What can I get for you?"
"Hello! What would you like today?"
These are just a few examples, and you might hear variations like "What can we make for you?" or "What can I get started for you?" Try to recognize these different ways of asking for your order.
Basic Drink Orders at Starbucks
When it comes to ordering, these phrases are essential:
Customer:
"I’ll have a latte."
"Can I get a Caramel Frappuccino?"
"I’ll have…" and "Can I get…" are classic ways to order drinks. You can also use "Can I have…" instead of "Can I get…" if you prefer. These are not just for Starbucks—whether you're at a restaurant or fast food spot, these phrases come in handy when ordering abroad.
Choosing Size and Hot/Iced Options
When asked about the size, you might hear:
Barista:
"What size?"
"Which size?"
At Starbucks, you’ll typically choose from the following sizes: short, tall, grande, and venti. Note that in countries like the US, the "short" size isn’t commonly used, so it might not even be listed on the menu.
When deciding between hot and iced drinks, the barista might ask, "Hot or iced?" You can respond with "Ice please" or specify "Hot" or "Iced".
Of course, you can combine your choice of size and temperature when ordering:
Customer:
"Can I get an iced tall latte?"
(Note: The word "iced" is used only when ordering iced drinks.)
Giving Your Name and Spelling It Out
Barista:
"What is your name?"
"May I have your name?"
At Starbucks, they’ll ask for your name to make sure your drink is correctly delivered. Since your name might be difficult for non-Japanese speakers to spell, you’ll likely be asked, "How do you spell your name?" In this case, it's best to provide your name using Roman letters.
Other Common Questions at Starbucks
Barista:
"For here or to go?"
"Anything else?"
For on-site consumption, say "For here," and if you’re taking your drink to go, say "To go."
If they ask if you'd like anything else, you can simply respond with "That's all, thanks." Once you’ve paid, you’ll receive your drink.
Customizing Your Drink at Starbucks: Useful English Phrases
Now, let’s dive into customizations! Whether it’s the type of milk, syrup, or toppings, Starbucks offers lots of ways to personalize your order. Here’s how to ask for the customizations you want.
Changing the Syrup
If you prefer a less sweet drink or are watching your calories, you can use these phrases:
Customer:
"Can I have a grande half sweet Caramel Macchiato?"
For a variety of customizations, you can add extra syrup or ask for less:
- Extra syrup: "extra syrup"
- Light syrup: "light syrup"
- No syrup: "no syrup"
- Unsweetened: "unsweetened"
You can also specify a different syrup:
Customer:
"Can I have a tall latte with vanilla syrup?"
"I’ll have a tall latte. Can you put soy milk instead of milk?"
Adjusting Whipped Cream, Milk, or Other Toppings
If you want more or less of something, here are some phrases to try:
- Extra (for more of something): "extra whipped cream"
- Less or light (for less): "light syrup" or "less whipped cream"
- No or without (for none): "no whipped cream" or "without whipped cream"
Customer:
"Can I get a grande Vanilla Frappuccino with extra whipped cream?"
"Can I have a tall Green Tea Latte, no syrup with extra matcha powder?"
"I’ll have an iced grande passion tea, light ice please."
Understanding "Room" for Milk
You might hear the word "room" when ordering drinks like an Americano. This refers to leaving space in the cup for adding milk or cream later.
Customer:
"Can I have a tall Americano with room for milk?"
If you don’t want any space left, you can say:
Customer:
"Can I get a tall Americano, no room?"
Starbucks Ordering: Speak Up and Enjoy Your Drink!
There are plenty of ways to customize your order, and depending on the country, the phrasing may vary slightly. If you find it difficult to order everything in one sentence, it's perfectly okay to list your requests:
Customer:
"One tall iced latte, light ice, extra milk, add chocolate sauce, please."
Don't be shy—whether you're ordering for here or to go, with a little practice, you’ll be able to customize your drink just the way you like it.
This post helps you understand the basics of ordering and customizing drinks at Starbucks. Next time you find yourself in a Starbucks abroad, confidently place your order using these phrases, and enjoy your favorite drink in style!
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