June 3, 2021
If you are in a restaurant can you say to a waitperson:
A. I'll have water.
B. I'll have a water.
What is the difference between the two?
Does "I'll have a water" mean a glass of water, a bottle of water, a jug of water or can it mean all of these?
If I ask for 2 colas, does it mean for 2 bottles of colas or 2 glasses of cola?
Is it correct to ask in a shop for:
-half a kilo of frutti di mare sweets/candy,
- two milks (meaning 2 cartons of milk),
- a citrus scent perfume (meaning a bottle of perfume),
-2 white chocolates (meaning 2 bars of white chocolate)?
Buying liquidand ordering drinks and sweets
"Liquids" is okay but a little strange. You can be more specific and say "drinks", since the context is drinks at a restaurant.
IfWhen you are in a restaurant, can you say these phrases to a waitperson?:
Note: "waitperson" is not commonly used. It's still a real word, but another way to say this could be "waiter or waitress", or just "server".
B. I'll have a water.
no, don't say this
Does "I'll have a water" mean a glass of water, a bottle of water, a jug of water or can it mean all of these?
Don't say "I'll have a water." You should say:
"I'll have water."
"I'll have some water."
"Can I please have some water?"
"I'll have a glass of water."
Your server asks: "What would you like to drink?"
Response (simple): "I'll have water." "I'll have juice." "I'll have iced tea."
The server will give you your drink in a cup / glass / bottle, or whatever they have!
Response (with measure word): "I'll have a glass of water." "I'll have a cup of tea."
You don't need to have a measure word when you are asking for a drink in a restaurant.
If I ask for 2 colas, does it mean for 2 bottles of colas or 2 glasses of cola?
I would say "Can I have 2 bottles (or glasses) of cola?"
-half a kilo of frutti di mare sweets/candy,
yes
- two milks (meaning 2 cartons of milk),
no, say "two cartons of milk", "two bottles of milk"
- a citrus scent perfume (meaning a bottle of perfume),
yes, this is fine
-2 white chocolates (meaning 2 bars of white chocolate)?
I would say "2 bars of white chocolate". However, maybe you're at a candy shop and you're picking many different kinds of chocolate bars - then if you say "I would like to have 2 white chocolates, 3 dark chocolates, and 1 mint chocolate", that is perfectly okay!
Feedback
These are good questions to think about! Sometimes it's okay to omit the measure words - the person will understand! Especially when ordering at a restaurant, it's often okay to just say "I'll have water". However, in other cases it feels more natural to include the measure word. This is a bit tricky!
Buying liquids and sweets Buying "Liquids" is okay but a little strange. You can be more specific and say "drinks", since the context is drinks at a restaurant. |
If you are in a restaurant can you say to a waitperson:
Note: "waitperson" is not commonly used. It's still a real word, but another way to say this could be "waiter or waitress", or just "server". |
A. I'll have water. |
B. I'll have a water. B. I'll have a water. no, don't say this |
What is the difference between the two? |
Does "I'll have a water" mean a glass of water, a bottle of water, a jug of water or can it mean all of these? Does "I'll have a water" mean a glass of water, a bottle of water, a jug of water or can it mean all of these? Don't say "I'll have a water." You should say: "I'll have water." "I'll have some water." "Can I please have some water?" "I'll have a glass of water." Your server asks: "What would you like to drink?" Response (simple): "I'll have water." "I'll have juice." "I'll have iced tea." The server will give you your drink in a cup / glass / bottle, or whatever they have! Response (with measure word): "I'll have a glass of water." "I'll have a cup of tea." You don't need to have a measure word when you are asking for a drink in a restaurant. |
If I ask for 2 colas, does it mean for 2 bottles of colas or 2 glasses of cola? If I ask for 2 colas, does it mean for 2 bottles of colas or 2 glasses of cola? I would say "Can I have 2 bottles (or glasses) of cola?" |
Is it correct to ask in a shop for: |
-half a kilo of frutti di mare sweets/candy, -half a kilo of frutti di mare sweets/candy, yes |
- two milks (meaning 2 cartons of milk), - two milks (meaning 2 cartons of milk), no, say "two cartons of milk", "two bottles of milk" |
- a citrus scent perfume (meaning a bottle of perfume), - a citrus scent perfume (meaning a bottle of perfume), yes, this is fine |
-2 white chocolates (meaning 2 bars of white chocolate)? -2 white chocolates (meaning 2 bars of white chocolate)? I would say "2 bars of white chocolate". However, maybe you're at a candy shop and you're picking many different kinds of chocolate bars - then if you say "I would like to have 2 white chocolates, 3 dark chocolates, and 1 mint chocolate", that is perfectly okay! |
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