Ordering Food and Drinks

What you’ll learn

Place an order and check a detail politely.

កុម្ម៉ង់ម្ហូប និងភេសជ្ជៈ ហើយសួរព័ត៌មានដោយគួរសម។

Situation and purpose

An order is clearer when you name the item, quantity, and any important preference. I would like and could I have are common polite forms. Ask whether an ingredient is included when it matters; do not assume the server knows your needs. End by confirming the order or thanking the server.

ពេលកុម្ម៉ង់ ត្រូវប្រាប់មុខម្ហូប ចំនួន និងតម្រូវការសំខាន់។ ប្រើ I would like ឬ Could I have។ សួរគ្រឿងផ្សំប្រសិនបើចាំបាច់។

Useful expressions

Pattern	Example or form
Order	I’d like a bowl of noodles, please.
State a preference	Without sugar, please.
Check an ingredient	Does this contain peanuts?
Confirm	That’s everything, thank you.

Examples

1. Could I have a cup of tea, please?

   សូមឱ្យខ្ញុំតែមួយពែងបានទេ?

2. I’d like two bowls of noodles.

   ខ្ញុំចង់បានមីពីរចាន។

3. Does this contain milk?

   តើនេះមានទឹកដោះគោទេ?

4. That’s everything, thank you.

   ប៉ុណ្ណឹងហើយ អរគុណ។

Model conversation

Dara: What would you like?

Maly: A bowl of vegetable noodles, please.

Dara: Would you like a drink?

Maly: Yes, iced tea without sugar.

Dara: Anything else?

Maly: No, that’s everything. Thank you.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
I would like order noodles.	I would like to order noodles.	Would like takes to before a verb.
Two bowl of noodles, please.	Two bowls of noodles, please.	Pluralise the countable serving noun.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Order one tea without sugar.
2. Ask whether a dish contains milk.
3. Correct: I’d like to a coffee.

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. Could I have a cup of tea without sugar, please?

   Model answer: specify the item and preference.

2. Does this contain milk?

   Does introduces the question; contain stays in the base form.

3. I’d like a coffee.

   A noun follows would like directly; to is used before a verb.

Quick recap

• Name quantity and item.
• State important preferences clearly.
• Would like + noun differs from would like to + verb.