Talk Like a Local: Can I Have a Beer?
Talk Like a Local — By Alexi Ueltzen on July 29, 2009 at 7:11 amIt’s a fairly basic request, and one that is probably heard millions of times a day around the world. On Friday and Saturday nights, maybe a couple million. Whatever country you’re in, you should know how to ask for a tall cold one. Read on for how to (politely) ask for a beer in many, many countries.
Arabic: يمكن أن لدي البيرة?
Bulgarian: Може ли една бира
Chinese: 可我有一个啤酒
German: Kann ich ein Bier haben?
Croatian: Mogu li dobiti pivo?
Czech: Můžu mít pivo?
Dutch: Mag ik een biertje?
Finnish: Voin on olut?
French: Puis-je avoir une bière?
Greek: μπορώ να έχω μια μπύρα?
Hebrew: אפשר לקבל בירה?
Hindi: मैं एक बियर हो सकता है?
Italian: Posso avere una birra?
Japanese: 私はビールを持つことができます?
Korean: 내가 맥주를 가질 수있습니다?
Danish: Kan jeg have en øl?
Norwegian: Kan jeg ha en øl?
Swedish: Kan jag ha en öl?
Polish: Mogę mieć piwo?
Portuguese: Posso ter uma cerveja?
Romanian: Pot avea o bere?
Russian: я могу выпить пива?
Spanish: Puedo tener una cerveza?
And, if all the above phrases fail, use the universal sign for “Can I have a beer?”
Check out HowToSayin.com for more translations Photo courtesy of Nadya Peek/Creative Commons




5 Comments
in Chinese it should be 我想喝啤酒
Thanks for the correction, Sanya Travel!
In German beer is Bier, not Beir. “Kann ich ein Bier haben” or “Ich möchte gerne ein Bier”
Amber – Of course it is. My bad,
In spanish it should be:
¿Me pone una cerveza?
“Puedo tener una cerveza”, sounds weird and it is not correct.