commander à emporter
The English phrase "order to go" is translated into French as commander à emporter.
This phrase is used to request that food from a restaurant be taken away to be eaten elsewhere. If you are ordering at a counter, you can simply say à emporter to indicate you want your food to go.
What does it mean word for word?
The part à emporter literally means "to carry away".
Which one should you use?
In contrast, use sur place to specify that you will eat your food inside the restaurant (on site).
Did you know?
- The word emporter is the direct opposite of importer. While one means to carry something out, the other means to carry something in.
- While à emporter is the standard, some high-end French establishments avoid the term to maintain an atmosphere of 'slow food' and dining as an experience.
- In France, the concept of à emporter is closely tied to the 'sandwich culture'. Many traditional brasseries only offer a limited selection of items à emporter compared to their full dine-in menus.
Examples in context
- Bonjour, je voudrais un sandwich jambon-fromage à emporter, s'il vous plaît.Hello, I would like a ham and cheese sandwich to go, please.
- Excusez-moi, pourrais-je commander ces pâtisseries à emporter ?Excuse me, could I order these pastries to go?
- Bien sûr, mademoiselle/monsieur. J'emballerai vos pâtisseries pour vous.Of course, miss/sir. I will pack your pastries for you.
- Salut, je voudrais un café à emporter, s'il te plaît.Hi, I would like a coffee to go, please.
- Hé, je peux emporter cette pizza ?Hey, can I get this pizza to go?
- Je voudrais un sandwich à emporter, s'il vous plaît.I would like a sandwich to go, please.
- Je voudrais commander à emporter, s'il vous plaît.I would like to order to go, please.
- Est-ce qu'on peut commander à emporter ici ?Can we order to go here?
- Nous allons commander à emporter pour ce soir.We are going to order to go for tonight.
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are deciding what to do for dinner at home.
- LéaGabriel, on n'a plus rien dans le frigo.Gabriel, we have nothing left in the fridge.
- GabrielTu veux commander à emporter dans l'italien ?Do you want to order to go from the Italian place?
- LéaOui, c'est une excellente idée !Yes, that is an excellent idea!
- GabrielParfait, je passe la commande tout de suite.Perfect, I'll place the order right away.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries commander, emporter, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
