Ordering a latte to go in English: “Can I get a latte to go, please?”

A barista asks “For here or to go?” and you want your coffee to take away. Ukrainian speakers often translate «з собою» word for word as “with me” — and the counter goes quiet. The natural phrase is simpler.

The phrase: Can I get a latte to go, please?

The Ukrainian sentence «Можна мені лате з собою, будь ласка?» becomes Can I get a latte to go, please? Can I get…? is the everyday way to order at a café. To go means “to take away”.

• Can I get a latte to go, please?A polite café order.
• Can I get two cappuccinos to go?Two drinks, taken away.
• Could I have a flat white to go, please?A slightly softer version of “Can I…?”

The abbreviation pls is for texts and chats. Say please out loud, especially at a counter. Can I…? and Could I…? are both natural when ordering; Could I…? sounds a little softer. May I…? is too formal for coffee.

Why not “a latte with me”?

The Ukrainian «з собою» is easy to translate literally, but with me means “in my company”: Come with me means “Come along”. So the literal version doesn’t work for takeaway.

• A latte with me — unnatural; it doesn’t mean “to take away”.
• Give me a latte — short, but it sounds abrupt. Can I get…? is the polite choice.
• I want a latte — direct and a bit blunt. Can I have…? is softer.

What the barista asks

Baristas often ask For here or to go? — the answer is To go, please. In British English people often say takeaway, as in a takeaway coffee. To go is understood everywhere.

• For here or to go?Question from the barista: eat in or take away?
• To go, please.Your answer: take away.
• Could I have a medium cappuccino, please?A polite order with a size.

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