Spanish Phrase
¿Hay café o té?
Meaning
The question asks whether coffee or tea is available. It’s a neutral, polite way to check the beverage options before ordering or serving.
When to use
Use this phrase when you’re at a café, a colleague’s office, a friend’s house, or any setting where drinks are being offered and you want to know what’s on hand.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Haycaféoté?
Hay (impersonal haber)
Hay is the present‑tense form of the impersonal verb haber, used to indicate existence or presence of something.
Café (masculine noun)
Café is a masculine singular noun; the article is omitted because hay already signals existence.
Té (masculine noun)
Té is also masculine singular; note the accent on the e, which affects pronunciation.
o (disjunctive conjunction)
o means “or”. In spoken Spanish it is pronounced /o/ but can be heard as /u/ before a word that starts with a vowel.
🗨In Conversation
¿Hay café o té?
Is there coffee or tea?
Sí, hay café y también té.
Yes, we have coffee and also tea.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Es café o té?
Hay, not ser, is used to talk about the existence of something.
¿Hay café y té?
Using ‘y’ changes the meaning to ‘and’ instead of offering a choice.
Hay café y té?
The question mark should be placed at the beginning and end of the sentence in Spanish.
↔Alternatives
¿Quieres café o té?
Do you want coffee or tea?
¿Prefieres café o té?
Do you prefer coffee or tea?
¿Te apetece café o té?
Would you like coffee or tea?
Cultural Tip
In most Spanish‑speaking countries coffee is the default hot drink, especially in the morning, while tea is more common in the afternoon or in regions with British influence. When offering a drink, it’s polite to ask “¿Quieres café o té?” rather than assuming the guest’s preference.