# I'll have a (something to eat/drink)



## Nino83

Hello everyone.

When you order something to eat or to drink, which verb do you use?

In Italian we use the verb _prendere_ (to take). 

_prendo un caffè_ = lit. (I) take a coffee
_prendo una birra_ = lit. (I) take a beer
_prendo una pizza_ = lit. (I) take a pizza


----------



## apmoy70

Greek uses "take" too:
*«Θα πάρω έναν καφέ»* [θa ˈpaɾo ˈenaŋ gaˈfe] --> (_I) will take a coffee_
*«Θα πάρω μια μπύρα»* [θa ˈpaɾo mɲa ˈbiɾa] --> (_I) will take a beer_
*«Θα πάρω μια πίτσα»* [θa ˈpaɾo mɲa ˈpiʦ͡a] --> (_I) will take a pizza_
Even the waiter/waitress uses the same expression for your order:
*«Τι θα πάρετε;»* [ti θa ˈpaɾete?] --> _what will you take?_
The construction with future tense is considered more polite than with present.

The v. is *«παίρνω»* [ˈperno] --> _to take, receive, lift, raise, pick up, grasp, seize, (colloq.) buy, acquire, have, drink, eat_ aphetic of ByzGr v. *«ἐπαίρ(ν)ω» epa̯ír(n)ō* < Classical v. *«ἐπαίρω» ĕpa̯írō* < compound; Classical prefix, preposition & adverb *«ἔπι» épĭ* & *«ἐπί» ĕpí* --> _on it, at it_ (PIE *h₁epi- _on, at, near_ cf Skt. अपि (ápi), _also, too_, Lat. ob, Arm. եւ (ew), _and_) + Classical v. *«αἴρω» a̯írō* --> _to take, grasp, seize, lift_ (with obscure etymology).


----------



## Messquito

In Taiwan (Chinese), we usually just use "want":
我要一杯咖啡(I *want* a coffee.) It sounds impolite in English, but not so much in Chinese.
However, if you want to sound polite, say 請給我一杯咖啡(Please *give* me a coffee.), instead.


----------



## Encolpius

Interesting thread.  But too bad you are interested in a special situation, that could confuse some people and can create a lot of examples (At least in Hungarian or Czech), but the collocations are:
*Hungarian*: eszem, iszom - to eat, to drink (something)
*Czech*: dám si (infinitive dát si - to give something to myself)


----------



## Nino83

Thank you all. 
And if you're speaking with a friend of yours (not with the waiter), which verb do you use? 
We use _prendere_ in this case too. 
_Io prendo un caffè. E tu? Cosa prendi?_ 
_Io prendo un tè._


----------



## 810senior

Messquito said:


> In Taiwan (Chinese), we usually just use "want":
> 我要一杯咖啡(I *want* a coffee.) It sounds impolite in English, but not so much in Chinese.
> However, if you want to sound polite, say 請給我一杯咖啡(Please *give* me a coffee.), instead.



Same here.
Either コーヒーお願いします(I want a coffee) or コーヒーください(give me a coffee, please) would be an equivalent for it in Japanese. (One thing I'm sure of is we don't use _have _for that sense)


----------



## apmoy70

Nino83 said:


> Thank you all.
> And if you're speaking with a friend of yours (not with the waiter), which verb do you use?
> We use _prendere_ in this case too.
> _Io prendo un caffè. E tu? Cosa prendi?
> Io prendo un tè._


Usually "want":
(Friend A to friend B): *«Tι θες;/θέλεις;»* [ti θes?] (colloq.)/[ti ˈθelis?] --> _what do you want?_
But it's not unusual to use "take" as well:
(Friend A to friend B): *«Tι θα πάρεις;»* [ti θa ˈpaɾis?] --> _what will you take?_
Note that the waiter/waitress addresses the client with the 2nd p. pl. form of the verb, «πάρετε», while the friend uses the 2nd p. sing. form «πάρεις»


----------



## Nino83

apmoy70 said:


> Note that the waiter/waitress addresses the client with the 2nd p. pl. form of the verb, «πάρετε», while the friend uses the 2nd p. sing. form «πάρεις»


Thanks, apmoy70. The Greek conjugation of the present simple is very similar to the Romance one.  


810senior said:


> Same here.


And if you and a friend of yours are at the bar, and you ask them what they want to order, which verb(/adjective) do you use? 何が欲しい？何を食べる・飲む？何を食べたい・飲みたい？


----------



## bibax

Czech:

*dáti si* = lit. _to give to-oneself_ is universal (reflexive *si* is in dative, invariable for all persons);

Co si dáš? = Cosa prendi?
Dám si kávu. = Io prendo un caffè.

_N.B. the waiter/waitress addresses the client with the 2nd person *plur.* form *dáte*, while the friend uses the 2nd person *sing.* form *dáš*._

In some cases _*dáti si*_ translates _far[si]_ in Italian:
Dám si sprchu. = Faccio la doccia (shower).
Dám si to opravit. = Me lo faccio riparare.
dát si dávku = farsi una dose;

*dáti se* (lit. _to give oneself_, reflexive *se* is in accusative) has different meaning, mostly _darsi_ in Italian:
dát se na útěk = darsi alla fuga;
dát se na cestu = mettersi in viaggio;


----------



## Nino83

Thanks, bibax!


----------



## Chaboue

In French we use the verb "prendre"
_Je vais prendre un café_ = I'll take a coffee
Other example: Do you want meat or fish ? Answer :_ je vais prendre du poisson_ (I'll to take some fish)


----------



## Messquito

Also, other than _I'll *have*_, I think it's also common in English to say _I would *like*_.


----------



## 810senior

Nino83 said:


> And if you and a friend of yours are at the bar, and you ask them what they want to order, which verb(/adjective) do you use? 何が欲しい？何を食べる・飲む？何を食べたい・飲みたい？


Well I might say 注文決まった？(_is the order decided yet?_), 何にする？(_what do you make?_) or 何飲む(飲みたい)？(食べる/食べたい)？(_what do you want to eat/drink_ or _what do you eat/drink_). We don't have a _have _or _get(grab) _for this situation, either.


----------



## Nino83

Thank you all! 



810senior said:


> *何に*する？(_what do you make?_)


Does this, literally, mean _*what* have you decided *on*_?


----------



## ger4

In German, there are some regional differences:

_Ich hätte gern(e)_, literally 'I would like to have', might sound overly polite in some southern and western regions but is very common in northern Germany, even in casual speech.  Ich hätte is the Konjunktiv II form of ich habe (Konjunktiv II often corresponds to the English conditional). The adverb gerne can express something like 'gladly' or 'willingly' but  is probably more similar to the French volontiers or Dutch graag.

_Ich bekomme_, lit. 'I get', 'I am getting', sounds a bit rude to North German ears but seems to be the norm in some western regions.
Rumour has it that Germans abroad, ordering a beefsteak, have been heard saying 'I become a beefsteak'.

_Ich nehme_, lit. 'I take', 'I am taking', is quite straightforward. I wouldn't use it talking to a waiter but talking to friends (discussing before ordering food, for example).


----------



## Testing1234567

Cantonese:

唔該我想*要*杯咖啡 Literally: Excuse me, I want to *want* a cup of coffee.
唔該*俾*杯㗎啡我 Literally: Please *give* me a cup of coffee.


----------



## 810senior

Nino83 said:


> Does this, literally, mean _*what* have you decided *on*_?


Yes it does, _what will you decide?_ to be exacter.


----------



## Testing1234567

810senior said:


> Yes it does, _what will you decide?_ to be exacter.


I thought -にする means "to transform".


----------



## 810senior

Well to be honest I have no guts to give it a general translation but to transform would be a candidate. This one sure is an equivalent of "I'll have something" in English and that's what it's all about.
(guess it goes off the point as we bring up how to translate にする in here)


----------



## Armas

Finnish:

_otan_ "I take"
_ottaisin_ "I would take"
_haluaisin_ "I would want"

A waiter/clerk might ask
_Mitä teille tulee_? lit. "What comes to you?"
_Mitä saisi olla?_ literally almost untranslatable into English... "What could be allowed to be?" perhaps...??? or "What could be?", I really don't know. _saisi_ is the conditional form of _saada_ "to get, to receive", "to have the permission to..., to be allowed to..."


----------



## ger4

Armas said:


> _Mitä saisi olla?_ literally almost untranslatable into English... "What could be allowed to be?" perhaps...??? or "What could be?", I really don't know. _saisi_ is the conditional form of _saada_ "to get, to receive", "to have the permission to..., to be allowed to..."


 That reminds me of the German phrase _Was darf es sein?_, lit. 'what may it be', even though _darf_ is the indicative.


----------



## ThomasK

Dutch: "*Ik neem ..."* (take), *"Ik wil graag .."* (I would like), or simply *'Graag een ...'* (_graag_ is an adverb, meaning something like 'with pleasure' in other contexts) (also: "*Een ... alstublieft"* (please)...


----------



## spindlemoss

In Welsh you can say:

*Ga i...* "I'll have/get" (this isn't the possessive "have" of other European languages, more like "getting" in English)

*Gymra i...* "I'll take"


----------



## 2PieRad

_To get_ is pretty common in English.

_Can I please get a/the...

Can I please have_ works as well, but I think I have a slight preference for _can I please get.

Would I be able to get,_ I would use to ask for something extra. eg. Our table has no salt shaker. _Sorry(CaE)/excuse me, would we be able to get some salt? Would I be able to have_ doesn't seem to work as well in this situation.

_I'll get/I'll have_ for some reason, gives me the impression that you're ordering at a really fancy restaurant.

Or maybe after some deliberation, _I think/guess I'll get/have..._
EDIT: Or maybe you and your friends are ordering one after the other.
_Can I please get the X?
And I'll have the Y.
I'll get the Z please._
_
I would like _sounds quite textbooky in my opinion.


----------



## Messquito

Polish
*Poproszę* pierogi. I'*ll ask for* pierogi.


----------



## KalAlbè

Haitian Creole: 

*Mwen te renmen*... = I'd like....


----------



## KalAlbè

Erebos12345 said:


> _To get_ is pretty common in English.
> 
> 
> *I would like sounds quite textbooky in my opinion.*



At the bold, indeed it does.

In certain locales, it's not uncommon to hear "Let me get..."


----------

