café au lait
/ka.fe o lɛ/
The English phrase milk coffee is translated into French as café au lait.
café au lait is most commonly used to describe coffee with milk served at home or in a breakfast context, often involving a large bowl or mug.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, café au lait means 'coffee with milk'. The word au is a contraction of à (with/at) and le (the).
Which one should you use?
While café au lait refers to coffee with milk, a café crème is a more common term used in cafes to refer to a coffee with milk (specifically espresso with steamed milk).
How do you pronounce it?
/ka.fe o lɛ/
Did you know?
- In France, the drink café au lait is traditionally served in a wide bowl rather than a mug. This design allows the drinker to dip pieces of baguette or croissants directly into the liquid.
- The word café is a linguistic traveler that reached French via Italian and Ottoman Turkish, originating from the Arabic word qahwa.
- The word café functions as a double agent, referring to both the dark liquid you drink and the physical establishment where you drink it.
Examples in context
- Je voudrais un café au lait, s'il vous plaît.I would like a milk coffee, please.
- Pourrais-je avoir un café crème, s'il vous plaît ?Could I have a milk coffee, please?
- Salut, un café au lait pour moi, s'il te plaît ?Hi, a milk coffee for me, please?
- Je prends un petit café crème, s'il vous plaît.I'll have a small milk coffee, please.
- Je vais prendre un café noisette, s'il vous plaît.I'll have a milk coffee with a touch of milk, please.
- Est-ce qu'il reste du café au lait ?Is there any milk coffee left?
- Elle boit toujours un café au lait le matin.She always drinks a milk coffee in the morning.
Example conversation
Gabriel and Emma are at a café.
- GabrielSalut Emma, qu'est-ce que tu veux boire ?Hi Emma, what do you want to drink?
- EmmaJe vais prendre un café au lait.I will have a coffee with milk.
- GabrielD'accord, je vais commander pour nous deux.Okay, I will order for both of us.
- EmmaMerci beaucoup, Gabriel !Thank you very much, Gabriel!
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.
