café au lait
/ka.fe o lɛ/
In French, "coffee with milk" is café au lait.
The phrase refers to a beverage made by mixing coffee with milk.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of café (coffee), au (with/at the) and lait (milk).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Switzerland, the term café crème is often used instead of café au lait.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, only the noun café takes an s, as in cafés au lait. The prepositional phrase au lait remains unchanged. When using the masculine article, it is written as un café au lait because café is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ka.fe o lɛ/
Did you know?
- While café au lait describes the drink, a café noisette is a specific French variation consisting of a small espresso with a tiny drop of milk or cream, resembling the color of a hazelnut.
- In many traditional French households, a café au lait is not just a quick drink but a ritualistic component of a slow breakfast, often served in a large bowl rather than a small cup.
- The word café traces its journey from the Arabic 'qahwa' through Turkish 'kahve' and Italian 'caffè' before reaching French.
Examples in context
- Mon petit-déjeuner se compose généralement de café au lait, d'un morceau de pain avec de la confiture, d'une petite banane, d'un morceau d'orange et de prunes séchées.My breakfast usually consists of coffee with milk, a piece of bread and jam, a small banana, a piece of orange and some dried plums.This sentence shows how café au lait is used as part of a breakfast description.Tatoeba #8302102 by Aiji, translation #2871753 by patgfisher
- Je préfère le café au lait.I prefer coffee with milk.This sentence uses café au lait to express a preference.Tatoeba #1195520 by mookeee, translation #1195533 by mookeee
- Le café au lait n'a jamais plu à mes grands-parents.My grandparents never liked coffee with milk.This sentence uses café au lait to describe something that was not liked.Tatoeba #5319031 by mervert1, translation #5311377 by mervert1
- Je voudrais un café au lait, s'il vous plaît.I would like a coffee with milk, please.
- Pourrais-je avoir un café avec du lait, s'il vous plaît?Could I have a coffee with some milk, please?
- Je prends un café au lait, s'il te plaît.I'll have a coffee with milk, please.
- Est-ce que je peux avoir un café avec du lait?Can I have a coffee with some milk?
- Je veux un café avec du lait, s'il vous plaît.I want a coffee with milk, please.
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are at a breakfast cafe.
- ChloéTu veux boire quoi, Hugo ?What do you want to drink, Hugo?
- HugoJe vais prendre un café au lait, s'il vous plaît.I will have a coffee with milk, please.
- ChloéMoi aussi, je choisis un café au lait.Me too, I'm choosing a coffee with milk.
- HugoC'est parfait pour commencer la journée.It's perfect for starting the day.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry café au lait, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries café, lait, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
