Coffee is an almost universal beverage, which means there are words for it in almost every language. Some of them are similar, like coffi or cafe, while others might sound completely different, and for some languages there are nuances to ordering exactly what you want.
This article explores how you say coffee in languages around the world, as well as how different countries change their terminology for different types of coffee.
How Do You Say Coffee In German?
Coffee in German is spelled ‘Kaffee’. The pronunciation is similar to the spelling, kaf-fee.
If you’re asking for coffee in Germany, you’ll need to specify whether you want black or with milk.
What Are Different ‘Kaffee’ Terms in German?
Schwarzkaffee – Plain black coffee
Milchkaffee – coffee with steamed milk, somewhat like a latte.
Most other coffee terms are the same, such as cappuchino.
How Do You Say Coffee in French?
The French word for coffee is cafe, with an accent on the e.
A cafe in France is a single shot of espresso, not a cup like you’d get at Starbucks.
What Are Different ‘Cafe’ Terms in French?
‘Noisette’ – Espresso with a splash of milk.
Allonge (accent on the e) – The beverage most like regular drip american coffee. It’s stronger than the American version, but not as strong as a ‘cafe’.
Cafe au Lait – Coffee with milk, or milk coffee. This beverage is what you should order if you want something similar to a latte.
Cafe glace – Iced coffee. For somethng like an iced latte, you’d need to add ‘au lait’ to this.
How Do You Say Coffee in Spanish?
As with French, the Spanish word for coffee is ‘cafe’ with an accent on the e.
‘Cafe’ in Spanish wil usually get you a shot of espresso. You can use words like ‘Solo’ or ‘Doble’ to specifiy the number of shots you’d like.
Cafe Americano will get you a shot mixed with hot water create a slightly milder brew.
What Are Different ‘Cafe’ Terms in Spanish?
Cafe Cortado – Coffee with a dash of milk.
Cafe Con Leche – A drink that’s half coffee, half milk. It’s similar to a latte.
Cfe Con Heilo – This is what you’d order for an iced coffee, nd you can add ‘y Leche’ if you want something more like an iced Latte.
How Do You Say Coffee in Italian?
In Italian coffee is Un caffe. As with many other European countries, asking for this will get you an espresso shot.
Most American coffee names have Italian roots, but those words aren’t necessarily what you’ll use to order un caffe. For example, if you order a ‘latte’, you’ll get a glass of cold milk, rather than coffee.
What Are Different ‘Un Caffe’ Terms in Italian?
Macchiato – A shot with a drop of cold milk
Macchiato Caldo – A shot with steamed milk
Caffe Lungo – The Italian equivalent of an Americano with a shot and extra water.
Cappucino or Cappucio – Shot with foamed milk, similar to an American Cappucino.
How Do You Say Coffee In Chinese?
Coffee in Chinese is Kafei, with accents on the ‘a’ and ‘e’.
Kafei is actually similr to american drip brewed coffee, as opposed to being an espresso.
What are Different ‘Kafei’ Terms in Chinese?
Nongsuo Kafei – Ordering this will get you an espresso
Na Tie – This is the Chinese equivalent of a latte
Bing Na Tie – This will get you an iced latte
Ka bu ji nuo – Chinese for a cappucino.
Saying ‘nuinai’ or ‘tang’ is a request to add milk or sugar.
How Do You Say Coffee In Japapnese?
Coffee in Japanese is buraku kouhii. This will get you a black, regular brewed coffee. You can also order it as simply ‘buraku’.
Coffee or ‘kouhii’ is a relatively new beverage in Japan, and many of the terms used are similar to English words.
What are Different ‘Kouhii’ Terms in Japanese?
Esupuresso – This is the way to order an espresso
Ratte – Ordering this will get you a latte
Aisu Kouhii – Aisu kouhii will get you an iced coffee. Aisu Ratte is one method of asking for an iced latte.
Asking for ‘miruku’ will get you non-dairy creamer. If you want milk, ask for ‘gyuunyuu’.
For sugar, ask for ‘shuga’ or ‘satou’.
How Do You Say Coffee In Russian?
The Russian word for coffee is pronounced ‘koh-fe’
Russians have a unique coffee culture including a specialty coffee called ‘Raph koh-fe’ or ‘rap koh-fe’
Raph Koh-fe is categorized as creamy and frothy, with flavor much like a vanilla latte, though not exactly the same.
Many of the terms for different coffees in Russia are similar to American terms, though not exactly the same.
What Are Different ‘Kohfe’ Terms in Russian?
Kohfe with ‘mah lah khom’ – Coffee with milk
Kohfe with sah hah rohm – Coffee with sugar.
Sugar can also be written caxapa
Ehs preh soh – Russian for Espresso
Lah teh – Russian for Latte
Mah kyah toh – Ordering this will get you a macchiato.
How Do You Say Coffee in Portuguese?
Coffee in Portuguese is written as ‘Um Cafe’. Ordering this will get you an espresso shot.
Ordering ‘Um Abatanado’ will get you something similar to an Americano, good if you’re not looking for really strong coffee.
What Are Different Coffee Terms in Portuguese?
Uma Meia de Leite – This is a half milk, half coffee beverage, most like an American latte.
Garato (accent on the second a) – This is very similar to the French cafe au lait. It can also be compared to an American cappucino.
Pingado – Ordering this will get an expresso shot with a splash of cold milk.
Cafe com Gelo – This is the Portugalese version of ‘iced coffee’. It’s usually served as espresso and ice served seperately for you to mix on your own.
What Are Other Names for Coffee?
There are as many words for coffee as there are languages. Here are some you might encounter:
Kava – With an accent on the first ‘a’, this is the Czech word for coffee
Kaffe – Swedish word for coffee is very similar to the German one
Kopi – Indonesian word for coffee.
Kahvi/Kave – Pronunced similarly, these are the Finnish/Hungarian words for coffee.
Kofi – Hindi Word for coffee
Kahve – Turkish word for coffee
Kahawa – Swahili for coffee
Coffi – Gaelic for coffee
Hi, I’m Jen Williams, chief editor and writer for ThirstPerk.com.
I’ve been drinking coffee and tea for most of my life, but it wasn’t until I started working at Thirstperk.com that I became an expert on the subject. I’m a total caffeine addict who has spent hours upon hours reading about and experimenting with the different types of coffees out there in my search to find the perfect cup of joe.
I’ve been a tea lover for as long as I can remember as well. I grew up in a house with a mom who loved to drink herbal tea, and I think that’s where my love for tea first began. These days, I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting teas to try, and I love experimenting with different brewing methods and flavoring combinations.