SESKStuff Everyone Should Know
SESK: Stuff Everyone Should Know · sesk.info/fr-je-voudrais

How do you say 'I would like...' when ordering in French?

Use Je voudrais, the polite I would like.

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  1. Je veux...
  2. Je voudrais... ✔
  3. Je vais...

Why: Je voudrais is the polite conditional form of vouloir. Je veux is correct but blunt, and je vais means I am going.

Huh, didn't know that: Veuillez, as in Veuillez m'excuser, is a polite command form of the same verb, vouloir.

The dad joke
Why did the verb go to finishing school? To learn to say je voudrais instead of je veux.
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References

Answer: Je voudrais.... Je voudrais is the polite conditional form of vouloir. Je veux is correct but blunt, and je vais means I am going.

  1. Le Robert, vouloir dictionnaire.lerobert.com/definition/vouloir
    Je voudrais bien la connaître. (atténuation polie de je veux )
    Checked 2026-10-12.

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