café noir
/ka.fe nwaʁ/
The English phrase "black coffee" is café noir in French.
café noir is used to describe coffee served without any milk or cream.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /ka.fe nwaʁ/. It consists of 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- In France, if you want to specify you do not want milk, it is more common to say sans lait rather than using the color 'black'.
- The French word café shares its roots with the Turkish kahve and Arabic qahwa, tracing a path of trade and culture from the Middle East to Europe.
- If you want a larger version of café noir, you can ask for a café allongé, which is an espresso 'lengthened' with hot water.
Examples in context
- Tom boit du café noir sans sucre.Tom drinks black coffee without sugar.This sentence is useful for seeing how to use café noir in a sentence about drinking coffee without sugar.Tatoeba #4281977 by mariezou, translation #4272409 by abeskies
- café noir avec du sucreBlack coffee with sugar
- un petit café noirA small black coffee
- un grand café noirA large black coffee
- Je prendrai un café noir, s'il vous plaît.I will have a black coffee, please.
- Je voudrais un café noir, s'il vous plaît.I would like a black coffee, please.
- Est-ce que vous servez du café noir ?Do you serve black coffee?
Example conversation
At a small cafe in Paris.
- ManonLucas, veux-tu un café noir ?Lucas, do you want a black coffee?
- LucasOui, un café noir me convient parfaitement.Yes, a black coffee suits me perfectly.
- ManonD'accord, je vais commander pour nous deux.Okay, I will order for both of us.
- LucasMerci beaucoup, Manon.Thank you very much, Manon.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry café noir, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries café, noir, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
