Café & Drinks

1. Mangataka rano iray aho

   Man-ga-ta-ka ra-no i-ray a-ho

   I would like one glass of water

   Usage

   Ordering a glass of water at a restaurant or café

   Grammar Note

   "Rano" means water and "iray" means one, so this asks for one glass of water. In Madagascar, tap water is unsafe — always order bottled water.

2. Mangataka kafe aho

   Man-ga-ta-ka ka-fe a-ho

   I would like a coffee

   Usage

   Ordering coffee — Madagascar produces quality Arabica coffee

   Grammar Note

   Madagascar is a producer of Arabica coffee. "Kafe" is borrowed from French "café". Malagasy has many loanwords from French, Arabic, and English.

3. Mangataka ronono iray aho

   Man-ga-ta-ka ro-no-no i-ray a-ho

   I would like a glass of milk

   Usage

   Ordering milk — for coffee or for children

   Grammar Note

   "Ronono" is the native Malagasy word for milk. Madagascar has many zebu cattle, and dairy products like butter and yogurt are available.

4. Mangataka ranon'ananasy aho

   Man-ga-ta-ka ra-non'a-na-na-sy a-ho

   I would like pineapple juice

   Usage

   Ordering tropical fruit juice — Madagascar has excellent fresh fruit juices

   Grammar Note

   "Rano" (water) + "n'ananasy" (of pineapple) = pineapple juice. Madagascar has abundant tropical fruits — pineapple, mango, lychee.

5. Mangataka ronono voankazo aho

   Man-ga-ta-ka ro-no-no vo-an-ka-zo a-ho

   I would like a fruit smoothie

   Usage

   Ordering a fresh fruit smoothie — popular in Malagasy restaurants and beachside cafés

   Grammar Note

   "Voankazo" = "voa" (fruit, seed) + "kazo" (tree) = "fruit of the tree". "Ronono voankazo" literally means "fruit milk", a milk drink made with fruit.

6. Misy toaka gasy ve eto?

   Mi-sy to-a-ka ga-sy ve e-to?

   Is there Malagasy local liquor here?

   Usage

   Asking about toaka gasy — Madagascar's traditional distilled liquor made from sugar cane

   Grammar Note

   "Toaka gasy" is a traditional distillate from sugarcane or rice. "Gasy" is the adjective for "Malagasy". Typically consumed in informal settings.

7. Mangataka ranon'ny litchi aho

   Man-ga-ta-ka ra-non'ny li-tchi a-ho

   I would like lychee juice

   Usage

   Ordering lychee juice — Madagascar is one of the world's top lychee exporters

   Grammar Note

   Madagascar is among the world's top lychee exporters. Peak season is December-January. "Litchi" is borrowed from French.

8. Mangataka biera iray aho

   Man-ga-ta-ka bi-e-ra i-ray a-ho

   I would like one beer

   Usage

   Ordering a beer — the most popular local brand is Three Horses Beer (THB)

   Grammar Note

   "Biera" is from French "bière". Madagascar's iconic local beer "Three Horses Beer (THB)" is a national institution since 1958.

9. Mangataka dite iray aho

   Man-ga-ta-ka di-te i-ray a-ho

   I would like a cup of tea

   Usage

   Ordering tea — herbal teas using local plants are common in Madagascar

   Grammar Note

   "dite" is borrowed from French "du thé". Local herbal teas using plants like ravintsara are popular in Madagascar. Do not confuse it with the similar-sounding tay, which is a vulgar word for excrement.

10. Tsy misotro toaka aho

    Tsy mi-so-tro to-a-ka a-ho

    I do not drink alcohol

    Usage

    Declining alcohol — useful when observing religious prohibitions or personal preference

    Grammar Note

    "Tsy" is the Malagasy negator placed before the verb. "Misotro" means to drink. Madagascar has Muslim communities where alcohol refusal is important.

11. Rano mangotraka

    Hot water (boiled)

    Usage

    Use when asking for water that has been boiled

12. Tsy misy ranomandry

    No ice

    Usage

    Refuse ice when ordering a drink

Browse all TravelPhrases languages