Speaking: Functional Language A1 - Lesson 4: Making Very Simple Requests (e.g., "Coffee, please.")

Speaking: Functional Language A1 - Lesson 4

Function: Making Very Simple Requests

By the end of this lesson, you will be able to perform the function of politely asking for things in a shop, café, or restaurant.

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Conversation Scenario: At a Café in Siem Reap

The function of "making a request¹" is something you will do every day. Let's look at a simple, polite way to do it.

Staff: Hello! What can I get for you?

You: Hello. Can I have² one coffee⁶, please?

Staff: Sure. Anything else?

You: Yes. A bottle of water, please.

Staff: Okay. A coffee and a bottle of water. That will be 6,000 riel.

You: Thank you. Here you are.⁴

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Your Functional Toolkit

1. Request (Noun) | ការស្នើសុំ | The action of asking for something politely. ↩
2. Can I have..., please? (Question) | តើខ្ញុំអាចយក...បានទេ? | A very common and polite way to ask for something. ↩
3. I'd like..., please. (Phrase) | ខ្ញុំចង់បាន... | Another very polite way to say what you want. "I'd" is a contraction of "I would". ↩
4. Here you are. (Phrase) | នេះ​លោក/អ្នក | What you say when you give something to someone. ↩
5. the bill / the check (Noun) | គិតលុយ | The piece of paper with the total price to pay at a restaurant. ↩
6. coffee (Noun) | កាហ្វេ | A popular hot or cold drink. ↩

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record_voice_over Polite Intonation for Requests

Your intonation helps make your request sound polite, not demanding.

• For a question: "Can I have a coffee, please? ↗" - Your voice should have a slight rise at the end. This sounds friendly and soft.
• For a short statement: "Coffee, please. ↘" - Your voice should have a simple, falling intonation. This is also polite and very common.

lightbulb Three Ways to Build Your Request

Here are three patterns, from simple to more complete.

Pattern 1: The Simple Request

Formula: [Item], please.

• "A bottle of water, please."
• "The bill⁵, please."

Pattern 2: The "Can I have...?" Request

Formula: Can I have [Item], please?

• "Can I have a menu, please?"
• "Can I have a plastic bag, please?"

Pattern 3: The "I'd like..." Request

This is a very polite and common pattern. "I'd like³" means "I would like".

Formula: I'd like [Item], please.

• "I'd like the fried rice, please."
• "I'd like an iced tea, please."

sports_esports Practice Making Requests

Activity 1: What's the Request?

You are at a restaurant. How do you ask for these things? Use one of the patterns you learned.

1. You want to see the menu. -> Example: "Can I have a menu, please?"
2. You want to order fried noodles. -> Example: "I'd like the fried noodles, please."
3. You are finished and want to pay. -> Example: "The bill, please."

Activity 2: Café Role-Play

Work with a partner. One person is the customer, one is the staff at a café in Siem Reap. The customer must order one drink and one food item. The staff should reply politely. Then, switch roles.

task Your Functional Mission

This week in Siem Reap, your mission is to perform the function of "making a request".

Go to a real café, restaurant, or shop. When you order or ask for something, use one of the polite patterns from this lesson. For example, say "Can I have an iced coffee, please?" instead of just pointing.