French Phrase
On peut avoir plus d'eau ?
Meaning
Literally, ‘Can we have more water?’ It is a polite request for an additional serving of water, usually in a restaurant, café or at a social gathering.
When to use
Use this sentence when you are already drinking water and would like a refill, especially in a dining setting. It works both in informal conversation and in more formal contexts if you add ‘s’il vous plaît’.
✦Grammar Breakdown
Onpeutavoirplusd'eau?
On (impersonal pronoun)
‘On’ is an indefinite pronoun that can mean ‘we’, ‘one’, or ‘people in general’; in spoken French it often replaces ‘nous’.
peut (pouvoir, present)
‘Peut’ is the third‑person singular present of the modal verb ‘pouvoir’ (to be able to). It agrees with the subject ‘on’.
avoir (infinitive)
The infinitive ‘avoir’ follows ‘pouvoir’ to form a ‘can + verb’ construction.
plus (adverb of quantity)
‘Plus’ means ‘more’. When it precedes a noun it functions as an adverb modifying the quantity.
d' (elision of de)
The preposition ‘de’ contracts to ‘d’ before a vowel‑initial word, here before ‘eau’.
eau (noun, feminine)
‘Eau’ is a feminine singular noun meaning ‘water’. The article is omitted in this request.
🗨In Conversation
On peut avoir plus d'eau ?
Can we have more water?
Bien sûr, je vous apporte ça tout de suite.
Of course, I’ll bring it right away.
✕Common Mistakes
Plus d'eau ?
Without ‘peut’ the sentence becomes a statement ‘more water?’ which sounds abrupt.
On peut avoir plus d'eau.
Missing the question mark or rising intonation can make it sound like a suggestion rather than a request.
On peut avoir plus d'eau ? s'il vous plaît.
Placing ‘s’il vous plaît’ after the question mark is grammatically incorrect; it should be before the question mark.
↔Alternatives
Pourrions‑nous avoir plus d'eau ?
Could we have more water?
Est‑ce qu’on peut avoir plus d'eau ?
Is it possible to have more water?
Un verre d'eau supplémentaire, s'il vous plaît.
An extra glass of water, please.
Cultural Tip
In French restaurants it is perfectly normal to ask for a water refill, but adding ‘s’il vous plaît’ makes the request sound more courteous. Be aware that ‘plus d’eau’ can be interpreted as ‘no more water’ if you use a falling intonation; a rising intonation signals a request. Also, French waitstaff may bring a carafe rather than individual glasses, so you might hear ‘Je vous apporte une carafe d’eau.’