How to say “coffee” in Chinese
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Pinyin colour key: tone 1 (high flat), tone 2 (rising), tone 3 (dipping), tone 4 (falling), neutral.
Word by word
Tone tip
Two flat first tones; it's a loan word from 'coffee', so the characters carry sound, not meaning. Keep 啡 as fēi, high and level. Common orders: 拿铁 (nátiě) latte, 美式 (měishì) americano, 冰咖啡 (bīng kāfēi) iced coffee.
In a sentence
Wǒ xiǎng hē yì bēi kāfēi.
I'd like a cup of coffee.
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Start freeFrequently asked questions
How do you say "coffee" in Chinese?+
"coffee" in Mandarin Chinese is 咖啡, pronounced kāfēi. Two flat first tones; it's a loan word from 'coffee', so the characters carry sound, not meaning. Keep 啡 as fēi, high and level. Common orders: 拿铁 (nátiě) latte, 美式 (měishì) americano, 冰咖啡 (bīng kāfēi) iced coffee.
What does 咖啡 mean literally?+
咖啡 breaks down as 咖 (kā) = (sound: 'co-'), 啡 (fēi) = (sound: '-ffee'). Together it means "coffee".
How do I get the tones right in kāfēi?+
Two flat first tones; it's a loan word from 'coffee', so the characters carry sound, not meaning. Keep 啡 as fēi, high and level. Common orders: 拿铁 (nátiě) latte, 美式 (měishì) americano, 冰咖啡 (bīng kāfēi) iced coffee.
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