Coffee in Different Languages
Discover 'Coffee' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Coffee is more than just a morning pick-me-up; it's a cultural phenomenon that has captured the hearts and minds of people around the world. From the bustling cafes of Italy to the traditional coffee ceremonies of Ethiopia, this versatile beverage has a rich history and a unique significance in every culture it touches.
Did you know that coffee was first discovered in Ethiopia in the 9th century? Since then, it has become a global obsession, with over 400 billion cups consumed each year. Whether you prefer your coffee hot or iced, black or sweetened, this magical elixir has a way of bringing people together and fueling creativity and conversation.
Understanding the translation of coffee in different languages can be a fun and enlightening way to explore the cultural significance of this beloved beverage. Here are a few examples to get you started:
- Spanish: café
- French: café
- German: Kaffee
- Italian: caffè
- Chinese: 咖啡 (kāfēi)
- Japanese: コーヒー (kōhī)
- Russian: кофе (kofe)
Coffee
Coffee in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | koffie | ||
| The word "koffie" in Afrikaans may have originated from the Dutch word "koffie" or the Arabic word "qahwah". "Koffie" may also refer to the coffee break in Afrikaans | |||
| Amharic | ቡና | ||
| The word ቡና (coffee) is derived from the Arabic word بُن (bunn), which means 'seed' or 'bean'. | |||
| Hausa | kofi | ||
| In Hausa, "kofi" also signifies "sorrow" of "sadness". | |||
| Igbo | kọfị | ||
| The Igbo word "kọfị" can also refer to "a beverage prepared from the roasted and ground seeds of certain plants, such as kola nut." | |||
| Malagasy | kafe | ||
| In Malagasy, "kafe" also refers to a type of rice drink popular in the western part of the island. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | khofi | ||
| Nyanja "khofi" also means "to be in good health". | |||
| Shona | kofi | ||
| In Shona, "kofi" can also mean "beer" or "medicine". | |||
| Somali | kafee | ||
| The word "kafee" is borrowed from Arabic and is a variation of the word "qahwa". | |||
| Sesotho | kofi | ||
| Kofi is the Sesotho word for coffee and comes from the Arabic word qahwah. | |||
| Swahili | kahawa | ||
| The Swahili word "kahawa" shares a root with the Arabic word "qahwah", both likely originating from the ancient Ethiopian language Kaffa. | |||
| Xhosa | kofu | ||
| The Xhosa word "kofu" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah", meaning "a drink that prevents sleep". | |||
| Yoruba | kọfi | ||
| The Yoruba word "kọfi" is thought to have derived from the Akan word "kwaph", meaning "small fruit". | |||
| Zulu | ikhofi | ||
| Zulu word "ikhofi" may refer to coffee, the beverage, or to a "coffee-coloured goat". | |||
| Bambara | kafe | ||
| Ewe | kɔfi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | ikawa | ||
| Lingala | kafe | ||
| Luganda | emmwanyi | ||
| Sepedi | kofi | ||
| Twi (Akan) | kɔfe | ||
Coffee in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | قهوة | ||
| In Arabic, "قهوة" also refers to the coffeehouse where coffee is served and social gatherings are held. | |||
| Hebrew | קפה | ||
| The Hebrew word "קפה" does not share a root with "coffee" or "caffeine", but with "coffeehouse" and "coffee pot" in Turkish (kahveh) | |||
| Pashto | کافي | ||
| The word "kāfi" also refers to a genre of traditional Pashto poetry often dealing with themes of love and loss. | |||
| Arabic | قهوة | ||
| In Arabic, "قهوة" also refers to the coffeehouse where coffee is served and social gatherings are held. | |||
Coffee in Western European Languages
| Albanian | kafe | ||
| The Albanian word 'kafe' originally referred to a particular variety of coffee from Yemen and is also used to mean "inn" or "pub." | |||
| Basque | kafea | ||
| Basque "kafea" comes from the Turkish word "kahve" via Spanish "café" but is used to mean "mug" in some South American countries. | |||
| Catalan | cafè | ||
| The word "cafè" in Catalan also refers to a "pub" or "bar". | |||
| Croatian | kava | ||
| The word "kava" in Croatian, besides meaning "coffee", can also refer to a gathering or party focused on chatting and drinking coffee, or to the coffee grounds remaining after the preparation of coffee. | |||
| Danish | kaffe | ||
| The Danish word “kaffe” is derived from the Arabic word “qahwah” and originally referred to a type of wine made from coffee berries. | |||
| Dutch | koffie | ||
| The Dutch word "koffie" comes from the Arabic "qahwah", meaning "wine berry". | |||
| English | coffee | ||
| The word "coffee" originates from the 15th century Arabic word "qahwa," meaning a kind of wine. | |||
| French | café | ||
| In French, the word “café” can also refer to the establishment where coffee is served. | |||
| Frisian | kofje | ||
| It is thought to have come to Frisian via Turkish "kahve" and Arabic "qahwa" meaning wine. | |||
| Galician | café | ||
| Similar to other Romance languages, in Galician, "café" has multiple meanings, including "a gathering place" and "an establishment where people drink coffee". | |||
| German | kaffee | ||
| The German word "Kaffee" originates from the Turkish "kahve" and the Arabic "qahwah". The latter is possibly related to the kingdom of Kaffa in Ethiopia, which supposedly was the coffee's country of origin. | |||
| Icelandic | kaffi | ||
| Although the Icelandic word for coffee is "kaffi", it can also be used to refer to a coffee or tea bar, a coffee pot, a coffee break, and anything that has the color of coffee. | |||
| Irish | caife | ||
| The Irish word "caife" also means "a berry" or "a bean". | |||
| Italian | caffè | ||
| The Italian word “caffè” can also refer to an establishment where coffee is served, while in English “coffee” typically refers to the beverage itself. | |||
| Luxembourgish | kaffi | ||
| In Luxembourgish, the word "Kaffi" does not only mean coffee, but also "shop" or "store". | |||
| Maltese | kafè | ||
| The original word is probably "qahwa", or alternatively the French "café", but due to centuries-long use of a closed vowel sound that has since been lost across both these languages, the "a" vowel sound has since merged with "e", leading to its current pronunciation. | |||
| Norwegian | kaffe | ||
| Kaffe comes from the Arabic word "qahwah" and also means "to chat" or "to relax" in Norwegian slang. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | café | ||
| In addition to meaning "coffee," "café" can also mean "shop" or "restaurant" in Portuguese (Portugal; Brazil). | |||
| Scots Gaelic | cofaidh | ||
| "Cofaidh" originates from the Turkish "kahve", via the Italian "caffè" or the French "café". | |||
| Spanish | café | ||
| "Café" also refers to "coffee shop" in Spanish. | |||
| Swedish | kaffe | ||
| The Swedish word 'kaffe' originates from the Arabic word 'qahwa', which means 'wine-like beverage'. | |||
| Welsh | coffi | ||
| Coffi can also refer to the coffee tree or coffee beans. | |||
Coffee in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | кава | ||
| The word "кава" in Belarusian derives from the Arabic "qahwah", which originally referred to a type of wine. | |||
| Bosnian | kafu | ||
| The word kafu originated from the Ottoman Turkish word kahveh, which itself is an Arabic word meaning 'wine berry' and came about by way of Ethiopia. | |||
| Bulgarian | кафе | ||
| The word "кафе" can also refer to a coffee shop or a type of small, strong coffee. | |||
| Czech | káva | ||
| The word "káva" entered Czech from German and derives ultimately from the Arabic "qahwah" via Turkish "kahve". | |||
| Estonian | kohv | ||
| In Estonian, "kohv" originally referred to a roasted pea drink, later replaced by coffee beans in the 18th century. | |||
| Finnish | kahvia | ||
| "Kahvia" is derived from the Ottoman Turkish word "kahve", which itself comes from the Arabic word "qahwa". | |||
| Hungarian | kávé | ||
| The word "kávé" is derived from the Ottoman Turkish "kahve", which in turn comes from the Arabic "qahwah". | |||
| Latvian | kafija | ||
| "Kafija" is a borrowing from Arabic "qahwah" through Russian "kofe", and is also used in other Slavic languages. | |||
| Lithuanian | kavos | ||
| The word "kavos" in Lithuanian is of Greek origin, ultimately deriving from the Arabic word "qahwah" meaning "wine". | |||
| Macedonian | кафе | ||
| In Macedonian, "кафе" also refers to a coffee shop or a coffee break. | |||
| Polish | kawa | ||
| The Polish word "kawa" derives from the Turkish "kahve" via German "kaffee" and Latin "caffa". | |||
| Romanian | cafea | ||
| In Romanian, the word "cafea" not only means coffee, but also refers to a social gathering where coffee is served. | |||
| Russian | кофе | ||
| "Кофе" (coffee) is thought to come from the Arabic word "qahwah" meaning "exciting" or "stimulating". | |||
| Serbian | кафу | ||
| The word кафу is thought by some to have originated from the Arabic "qahwah," though there is an alternate theory it came from the Turkish language. | |||
| Slovak | káva | ||
| The Slovak word "káva" likely comes from the Turkish "kahve" or the Arabic "qahwa" word, meaning a "dark drink". | |||
| Slovenian | kava | ||
| The word "kava" in Slovenian has alternate meanings such as "drink" and "extract". | |||
| Ukrainian | кава | ||
| The word "кава" in Ukrainian, derived from the Turkish "kahve," also refers to the brown color of coffee beans and the process of brewing coffee. | |||
Coffee in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | কফি | ||
| The word "কফি" is derived from the Turkish word "kahve", which itself originates from the Arabic word "qahwah" meaning "wine". | |||
| Gujarati | કોફી | ||
| The Gujarati word "કોફી" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah", which means "wine" or "intoxicating drink". | |||
| Hindi | कॉफ़ी | ||
| The word 'coffee' is cognate with Turkish 'kahve' and Dutch 'koffie', both words being derived from Arabic 'qahwah'. | |||
| Kannada | ಕಾಫಿ | ||
| The word "ಕಾಫಿ" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah", meaning "exciting drink". | |||
| Malayalam | കോഫി | ||
| The word "കോഫി" in Malayalam is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah" and also refers to "a brew made from the seeds of the coffee plant". | |||
| Marathi | कॉफी | ||
| Derived from the Arabic word 'qahwa' meaning 'wine', 'कॉफी' also refers to 'the grounds of coffee', 'coffee-coloured' or 'a drink of coffee'. | |||
| Nepali | कफी | ||
| The word 'कफी' is also used to refer to the sediment that settles at the bottom of a cup of brewed coffee. | |||
| Punjabi | ਕਾਫੀ | ||
| The word 'ਕਾਫੀ' ('coffee') in Punjabi likely originates from the Arabic word 'qahwa', which originally referred to a type of wine. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | කෝපි | ||
| "කෝපි" (coffee) is derived from the Arabic "qahwah" which means "wine" or "intoxicating drink" | |||
| Tamil | கொட்டைவடி நீர் | ||
| The Tamil word "கொட்டைவடி நீர்" (coffee) literally means "water with beans", referring to its preparation using roasted and ground coffee beans. | |||
| Telugu | కాఫీ | ||
| The word "కాఫీ" comes from the Arabic word "qahwah", meaning "invigorating drink" | |||
| Urdu | کافی | ||
| The Urdu word "کافی" can also refer to a type of Sufi poetry or music. | |||
Coffee in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 咖啡 | ||
| 咖啡一词源于阿拉伯语的'qahwah'，原指一种提神的苦味饮料，后来传入欧洲并演变成现在的'coffee'。 | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 咖啡 | ||
| 咖啡 (kā fēi) in Chinese can also refer to the coffee berry, coffee beans, or the coffee tree. | |||
| Japanese | コーヒー | ||
| In Japanese, "コーヒー" (ko-hi-i) is a loan word from the Dutch word "koffie", which in turn originated from the Arabic word "qahwah". | |||
| Korean | 커피 | ||
| The word "커피" is derived from the Dutch word "koffie", which in turn comes from the Arabic word "qahwah". | |||
| Mongolian | кофе | ||
| "кофе" in Mongolian can come from the Russian word "кофе," but can also refer to a strong traditional salted tea with milk | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ကော်ဖီ | ||
| The word "ကော်ဖီ" comes from the Arabic word "qahwah", and it can also refer to tea in Myanmar. | |||
Coffee in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | kopi | ||
| The word "kopi" in Indonesian, meaning "coffee," is derived from the Turkish word "kahve" and has a similar meaning in Malay, Tagalog, and other Southeast Asian languages. | |||
| Javanese | kopi | ||
| The Javanese word "kopi" can also refer to "beans" or "seeds" in general. | |||
| Khmer | កាហ្វេ | ||
| The word "កាហ្វេ" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah", meaning "wine" or "intoxicating drink." | |||
| Lao | ກາເຟ | ||
| The word "ກາເຟ" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah," which means "stimulating drink." | |||
| Malay | kopi | ||
| The Malay word 'kopi' is derived from the Arabic word 'qahwa', which refers to the coffee bean or the drink made from it. | |||
| Thai | กาแฟ | ||
| กาแฟ comes from the Ottoman Turkish قەھوە (kahve), which in turn traces its roots back to the Arabic قهوة (qahwah). | |||
| Vietnamese | cà phê | ||
| The word "cà phê" in Vietnamese is derived from the French word "café" and originally referred to a type of coffee tree rather than the beverage. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kape | ||
Coffee in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | qəhvə | ||
| The Azerbaijani word "qəhvə" originates from the Arabic word "qahwah", which has the additional meaning of "wine". | |||
| Kazakh | кофе | ||
| "Кофе" is also a nickname used for dark-skinned men. | |||
| Kyrgyz | кофе | ||
| The word "кофе" in Kyrgyz is thought to come from Arabic "قهوه" and Turkish "kahve". | |||
| Tajik | қаҳва | ||
| The word "қаҳва" derives from the Arabic word "qahwah", which originally referred to a wine-like drink made from coffee beans. | |||
| Turkmen | kofe | ||
| Uzbek | qahva | ||
| In Uzbek, "qahva" also denotes a venue where coffee is served and shared with friends or family. | |||
| Uyghur | قەھۋە | ||
Coffee in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | kope | ||
| The Hawaiian word "kope" derives from the Turkish "kahve", the Arabic "qahwa", or the Persian "qahveh". | |||
| Maori | kawhe | ||
| In Maori, "kawhe" can also refer to a type of seaweed | |||
| Samoan | kofe | ||
| The word "kofe" in Samoan is a loanword from the English "coffee", which is itself derived from the Arabic "qahwah". | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kape | ||
| The term "kape" originated from the Sanskrit word "kaphawa" and later from the Arabic word "qahwa," denoting the beverage prepared from roasted coffee beans. | |||
Coffee in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | kaphiya | ||
| Guarani | café | ||
Coffee in International Languages
| Esperanto | kafo | ||
| The word "kafo" may be of Arabic or Amharic origin, and it also means "barley" in Turkish (kahve) and "husk" in Indonesian (kapuk). | |||
| Latin | capulus | ||
| The Latin word "capulus" also referred to a type of cup or drinking bowl. | |||
Coffee in Others Languages
| Greek | καφές | ||
| The term καφές in Greek originally referred to a specific type of wine, rather than the beverage we know today. | |||
| Hmong | kas fes | ||
| "Kas fes" is a term used in the Hmong language to refer to the beverage "coffee", but it can also be used to mean "tea" or "hot water". | |||
| Kurdish | qehwe | ||
| The word "qehwe" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah", meaning "wine" or "intoxicating drink". | |||
| Turkish | kahve | ||
| Although “kahve” means “coffee” in Turkish, it also refers to fortune-telling, especially by reading the patterns of the coffee grounds left in a cup. | |||
| Xhosa | kofu | ||
| The Xhosa word "kofu" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah", meaning "a drink that prevents sleep". | |||
| Yiddish | קאַווע | ||
| "קאַווע" can also mean nonsense or chatter in Yiddish. | |||
| Zulu | ikhofi | ||
| Zulu word "ikhofi" may refer to coffee, the beverage, or to a "coffee-coloured goat". | |||
| Assamese | কফি | ||
| Aymara | kaphiya | ||
| Bhojpuri | कॉफी | ||
| Dhivehi | ކޮފީ | ||
| Dogri | काफी | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kape | ||
| Guarani | café | ||
| Ilocano | kape | ||
| Krio | kɔfi | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | قاوە | ||
| Maithili | कॉफी | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯀꯣꯐꯤ | ||
| Mizo | kawfi | ||
| Oromo | buna | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | କଫି | ||
| Quechua | cafe | ||
| Sanskrit | काफी | ||
| Tatar | кофе | ||
| Tigrinya | ቡን | ||
| Tsonga | kofi | ||