Coffee in Different Languages
Discover 'Coffee' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Coffee
Afrikaans koffie | ||
Albanian kafe | ||
Amharic ቡና | ||
Arabic قهوة | ||
Armenian սուրճ | ||
Assamese কফি | ||
Aymara kaphiya | ||
Azerbaijani qəhvə | ||
Bambara kafe | ||
Basque kafea | ||
Belarusian кава | ||
Bengali কফি | ||
Bhojpuri कॉफी | ||
Bosnian kafu | ||
Bulgarian кафе | ||
Catalan cafè | ||
Cebuano kape | ||
Chinese (Simplified) 咖啡 | ||
Chinese (Traditional) 咖啡 | ||
Corsican caffè | ||
Croatian kava | ||
Czech káva | ||
Danish kaffe | ||
Dhivehi ކޮފީ | ||
Dogri काफी | ||
Dutch koffie | ||
English coffee | ||
Esperanto kafo | ||
Estonian kohv | ||
Ewe kɔfi | ||
Filipino (Tagalog) kape | ||
Finnish kahvia | ||
French café | ||
Frisian kofje | ||
Galician café | ||
Georgian ყავა | ||
German kaffee | ||
Greek καφές | ||
Guarani café | ||
Gujarati કોફી | ||
Haitian Creole kafe | ||
Hausa kofi | ||
Hawaiian kope | ||
Hebrew קפה | ||
Hindi कॉफ़ी | ||
Hmong kas fes | ||
Hungarian kávé | ||
Icelandic kaffi | ||
Igbo kọfị | ||
Ilocano kape | ||
Indonesian kopi | ||
Irish caife | ||
Italian caffè | ||
Japanese コーヒー | ||
Javanese kopi | ||
Kannada ಕಾಫಿ | ||
Kazakh кофе | ||
Khmer កាហ្វេ | ||
Kinyarwanda ikawa | ||
Konkani कॉफी | ||
Korean 커피 | ||
Krio kɔfi | ||
Kurdish qehwe | ||
Kurdish (Sorani) قاوە | ||
Kyrgyz кофе | ||
Lao ກາເຟ | ||
Latin capulus | ||
Latvian kafija | ||
Lingala kafe | ||
Lithuanian kavos | ||
Luganda emmwanyi | ||
Luxembourgish kaffi | ||
Macedonian кафе | ||
Maithili कॉफी | ||
Malagasy kafe | ||
Malay kopi | ||
Malayalam കോഫി | ||
Maltese kafè | ||
Maori kawhe | ||
Marathi कॉफी | ||
Meiteilon (Manipuri) ꯀꯣꯐꯤ | ||
Mizo kawfi | ||
Mongolian кофе | ||
Myanmar (Burmese) ကော်ဖီ | ||
Nepali कफी | ||
Norwegian kaffe | ||
Nyanja (Chichewa) khofi | ||
Odia (Oriya) କଫି | ||
Oromo buna | ||
Pashto کافي | ||
Persian قهوه | ||
Polish kawa | ||
Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) café | ||
Punjabi ਕਾਫੀ | ||
Quechua cafe | ||
Romanian cafea | ||
Russian кофе | ||
Samoan kofe | ||
Sanskrit काफी | ||
Scots Gaelic cofaidh | ||
Sepedi kofi | ||
Serbian кафу | ||
Sesotho kofi | ||
Shona kofi | ||
Sindhi ڪافي | ||
Sinhala (Sinhalese) කෝපි | ||
Slovak káva | ||
Slovenian kava | ||
Somali kafee | ||
Spanish café | ||
Sundanese kopi | ||
Swahili kahawa | ||
Swedish kaffe | ||
Tagalog (Filipino) kape | ||
Tajik қаҳва | ||
Tamil கொட்டைவடி நீர் | ||
Tatar кофе | ||
Telugu కాఫీ | ||
Thai กาแฟ | ||
Tigrinya ቡን | ||
Tsonga kofi | ||
Turkish kahve | ||
Turkmen kofe | ||
Twi (Akan) kɔfe | ||
Ukrainian кава | ||
Urdu کافی | ||
Uyghur قەھۋە | ||
Uzbek qahva | ||
Vietnamese cà phê | ||
Welsh coffi | ||
Xhosa kofu | ||
Yiddish קאַווע | ||
Yoruba kọfi | ||
Zulu ikhofi |
Etymology & Notes
| Language | Etymology / Notes |
|---|---|
| Afrikaans | 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 |
| Albanian | The Albanian word 'kafe' originally referred to a particular variety of coffee from Yemen and is also used to mean "inn" or "pub." |
| Amharic | The word ቡና (coffee) is derived from the Arabic word بُن (bunn), which means 'seed' or 'bean'. |
| Arabic | In Arabic, "قهوة" also refers to the coffeehouse where coffee is served and social gatherings are held. |
| Armenian | The Armenian word "սուրճ" (coffee) is originally derived from the Turkish word "kahve," which in turn comes from the Arabic word "qahwa." |
| Azerbaijani | The Azerbaijani word "qəhvə" originates from the Arabic word "qahwah", which has the additional meaning of "wine". |
| Basque | Basque "kafea" comes from the Turkish word "kahve" via Spanish "café" but is used to mean "mug" in some South American countries. |
| Belarusian | The word "кава" in Belarusian derives from the Arabic "qahwah", which originally referred to a type of wine. |
| Bengali | The word "কফি" is derived from the Turkish word "kahve", which itself originates from the Arabic word "qahwah" meaning "wine". |
| Bosnian | 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 | The word "кафе" can also refer to a coffee shop or a type of small, strong coffee. |
| Catalan | The word "cafè" in Catalan also refers to a "pub" or "bar". |
| Cebuano | The Cebuano word "kape" may also refer to a type of tree or its fruit, which has a similar name in other Philippine languages. |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 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 (kā fēi) in Chinese can also refer to the coffee berry, coffee beans, or the coffee tree. |
| Corsican | In Corsican, "caffè" (coffee) is also used to refer to a type of coffee liqueur. |
| Croatian | 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. |
| Czech | The word "káva" entered Czech from German and derives ultimately from the Arabic "qahwah" via Turkish "kahve". |
| Danish | The Danish word “kaffe” is derived from the Arabic word “qahwah” and originally referred to a type of wine made from coffee berries. |
| Dutch | The Dutch word "koffie" comes from the Arabic "qahwah", meaning "wine berry". |
| Esperanto | The word "kafo" may be of Arabic or Amharic origin, and it also means "barley" in Turkish (kahve) and "husk" in Indonesian (kapuk). |
| Estonian | In Estonian, "kohv" originally referred to a roasted pea drink, later replaced by coffee beans in the 18th century. |
| Finnish | "Kahvia" is derived from the Ottoman Turkish word "kahve", which itself comes from the Arabic word "qahwa". |
| French | In French, the word “café” can also refer to the establishment where coffee is served. |
| Frisian | It is thought to have come to Frisian via Turkish "kahve" and Arabic "qahwa" meaning wine. |
| Galician | Similar to other Romance languages, in Galician, "café" has multiple meanings, including "a gathering place" and "an establishment where people drink coffee". |
| Georgian | The word "ყავა" derives from the Arabic word "qahhwa" and has alternate meanings such as "strength" or "stimulant". |
| German | 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. |
| Greek | The term καφές in Greek originally referred to a specific type of wine, rather than the beverage we know today. |
| Gujarati | The Gujarati word "કોફી" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah", which means "wine" or "intoxicating drink". |
| Haitian Creole | In Haitian Creole, "kafe" can also refer to the coffee plantation where coffee plants are grown. |
| Hausa | In Hausa, "kofi" also signifies "sorrow" of "sadness". |
| Hawaiian | The Hawaiian word "kope" derives from the Turkish "kahve", the Arabic "qahwa", or the Persian "qahveh". |
| Hebrew | The Hebrew word "קפה" does not share a root with "coffee" or "caffeine", but with "coffeehouse" and "coffee pot" in Turkish (kahveh) |
| Hindi | The word 'coffee' is cognate with Turkish 'kahve' and Dutch 'koffie', both words being derived from Arabic 'qahwah'. |
| Hmong | "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". |
| Hungarian | The word "kávé" is derived from the Ottoman Turkish "kahve", which in turn comes from the Arabic "qahwah". |
| Icelandic | 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. |
| Igbo | The Igbo word "kọfị" can also refer to "a beverage prepared from the roasted and ground seeds of certain plants, such as kola nut." |
| Indonesian | 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. |
| Irish | The Irish word "caife" also means "a berry" or "a bean". |
| Italian | The Italian word “caffè” can also refer to an establishment where coffee is served, while in English “coffee” typically refers to the beverage itself. |
| Japanese | 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". |
| Javanese | The Javanese word "kopi" can also refer to "beans" or "seeds" in general. |
| Kannada | The word "ಕಾಫಿ" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah", meaning "exciting drink". |
| Kazakh | "Кофе" is also a nickname used for dark-skinned men. |
| Khmer | The word "កាហ្វេ" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah", meaning "wine" or "intoxicating drink." |
| Korean | The word "커피" is derived from the Dutch word "koffie", which in turn comes from the Arabic word "qahwah". |
| Kurdish | The word "qehwe" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah", meaning "wine" or "intoxicating drink". |
| Kyrgyz | The word "кофе" in Kyrgyz is thought to come from Arabic "قهوه" and Turkish "kahve". |
| Lao | The word "ກາເຟ" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah," which means "stimulating drink." |
| Latin | The Latin word "capulus" also referred to a type of cup or drinking bowl. |
| Latvian | "Kafija" is a borrowing from Arabic "qahwah" through Russian "kofe", and is also used in other Slavic languages. |
| Lithuanian | The word "kavos" in Lithuanian is of Greek origin, ultimately deriving from the Arabic word "qahwah" meaning "wine". |
| Luxembourgish | In Luxembourgish, the word "Kaffi" does not only mean coffee, but also "shop" or "store". |
| Macedonian | In Macedonian, "кафе" also refers to a coffee shop or a coffee break. |
| Malagasy | In Malagasy, "kafe" also refers to a type of rice drink popular in the western part of the island. |
| Malay | The Malay word 'kopi' is derived from the Arabic word 'qahwa', which refers to the coffee bean or the drink made from it. |
| Malayalam | 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". |
| Maltese | 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. |
| Maori | In Maori, "kawhe" can also refer to a type of seaweed |
| Marathi | Derived from the Arabic word 'qahwa' meaning 'wine', 'कॉफी' also refers to 'the grounds of coffee', 'coffee-coloured' or 'a drink of coffee'. |
| Mongolian | "кофе" in Mongolian can come from the Russian word "кофе," but can also refer to a strong traditional salted tea with milk |
| Myanmar (Burmese) | The word "ကော်ဖီ" comes from the Arabic word "qahwah", and it can also refer to tea in Myanmar. |
| Nepali | The word 'कफी' is also used to refer to the sediment that settles at the bottom of a cup of brewed coffee. |
| Norwegian | Kaffe comes from the Arabic word "qahwah" and also means "to chat" or "to relax" in Norwegian slang. |
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | Nyanja "khofi" also means "to be in good health". |
| Pashto | The word "kāfi" also refers to a genre of traditional Pashto poetry often dealing with themes of love and loss. |
| Persian | The Persian "قهوه" originally meant "wine", but was later adopted for coffee (from Arabic "قهوة" - "dark wine" or "dark water"). |
| Polish | The Polish word "kawa" derives from the Turkish "kahve" via German "kaffee" and Latin "caffa". |
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | In addition to meaning "coffee," "café" can also mean "shop" or "restaurant" in Portuguese (Portugal; Brazil). |
| Punjabi | The word 'ਕਾਫੀ' ('coffee') in Punjabi likely originates from the Arabic word 'qahwa', which originally referred to a type of wine. |
| Romanian | In Romanian, the word "cafea" not only means coffee, but also refers to a social gathering where coffee is served. |
| Russian | "Кофе" (coffee) is thought to come from the Arabic word "qahwah" meaning "exciting" or "stimulating". |
| Samoan | The word "kofe" in Samoan is a loanword from the English "coffee", which is itself derived from the Arabic "qahwah". |
| Scots Gaelic | "Cofaidh" originates from the Turkish "kahve", via the Italian "caffè" or the French "café". |
| Serbian | 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. |
| Sesotho | Kofi is the Sesotho word for coffee and comes from the Arabic word qahwah. |
| Shona | In Shona, "kofi" can also mean "beer" or "medicine". |
| Sindhi | The Sindhi word "ڪافي" (coffee) also refers to a traditional type of folk poetry. |
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | "කෝපි" (coffee) is derived from the Arabic "qahwah" which means "wine" or "intoxicating drink" |
| Slovak | The Slovak word "káva" likely comes from the Turkish "kahve" or the Arabic "qahwa" word, meaning a "dark drink". |
| Slovenian | The word "kava" in Slovenian has alternate meanings such as "drink" and "extract". |
| Somali | The word "kafee" is borrowed from Arabic and is a variation of the word "qahwa". |
| Spanish | "Café" also refers to "coffee shop" in Spanish. |
| Sundanese | In Sundanese, 'kopi' also refers to an intoxicating drink made from fermented cassava. |
| Swahili | The Swahili word "kahawa" shares a root with the Arabic word "qahwah", both likely originating from the ancient Ethiopian language Kaffa. |
| Swedish | The Swedish word 'kaffe' originates from the Arabic word 'qahwa', which means 'wine-like beverage'. |
| Tagalog (Filipino) | The term "kape" originated from the Sanskrit word "kaphawa" and later from the Arabic word "qahwa," denoting the beverage prepared from roasted coffee beans. |
| Tajik | The word "қаҳва" derives from the Arabic word "qahwah", which originally referred to a wine-like drink made from coffee beans. |
| Tamil | The Tamil word "கொட்டைவடி நீர்" (coffee) literally means "water with beans", referring to its preparation using roasted and ground coffee beans. |
| Telugu | The word "కాఫీ" comes from the Arabic word "qahwah", meaning "invigorating drink" |
| Thai | กาแฟ comes from the Ottoman Turkish قەھوە (kahve), which in turn traces its roots back to the Arabic قهوة (qahwah). |
| Turkish | 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. |
| Ukrainian | 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. |
| Urdu | The Urdu word "کافی" can also refer to a type of Sufi poetry or music. |
| Uzbek | In Uzbek, "qahva" also denotes a venue where coffee is served and shared with friends or family. |
| Vietnamese | 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. |
| Welsh | Coffi can also refer to the coffee tree or coffee beans. |
| Xhosa | The Xhosa word "kofu" is derived from the Arabic word "qahwah", meaning "a drink that prevents sleep". |
| Yiddish | "קאַווע" can also mean nonsense or chatter in Yiddish. |
| Yoruba | The Yoruba word "kọfi" is thought to have derived from the Akan word "kwaph", meaning "small fruit". |
| Zulu | Zulu word "ikhofi" may refer to coffee, the beverage, or to a "coffee-coloured goat". |
| English | The word "coffee" originates from the 15th century Arabic word "qahwa," meaning a kind of wine. |