A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "Can we sit outside" in French
Ask to sit outside at a French restaurant or café with this polite and common phrase.
Est-ce qu'on peut s'asseoir dehors ?
es kuh noh puh sa-SWAHR duh-OHRneutral
French TTS · 0:01
When you arrive at a restaurant or café and want to request an outdoor table. This works equally well for a quick coffee or a full meal.
Alternatives
- On peut s'asseoir dehors ?Slightly more casual, good with younger staff or in a very relaxed setting.
- Puis-je m'installer dehors ?More formal and very polite, suitable for a very upscale establishment.
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing 'dehors'
The 'h' is silent, and the 'r' sound is at the back of the throat, not a hard English 'r'.
Forgetting 's' in 's'asseoir'
The reflexive pronoun 'se' becomes 's'' before a vowel, so it's 's'asseoir', not 'asseoir'.
A small cultural note
Terrace seating is very popular in France, especially in good weather. Don't hesitate to ask, as it's a common request.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How to say can we sit outside in French?
The most common way is 'Est-ce qu'on peut s'asseoir dehors ?'. This is polite and widely understood.
Is 'Est-ce qu'on peut s'asseoir dehors ?' formal?
It's a neutral and polite phrase suitable for most situations. For a more formal setting, you could use 'Puis-je m'installer dehors ?'.
What if there are no outdoor tables?
You can ask 'Y a-t-il des tables dehors ?' (Are there any tables outside?) first. If they say no, you can then ask for an indoor table.
