ቡና
buna
The English word coffee is translated into Amharic as ቡና (buna).
ቡና is used to refer to the beverage coffee. It is the most common and widely recognized term for coffee in the Amharic language.
Meaning: beverage (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
buna
When do people say it?
The term ቡና is central to the Ethiopian coffee ceremony, often referred to by the ritual of preparing it.
Did you know?
- It is traditional to serve ቡና with a side of popcorn or roasted barley known as kolo instead of the cakes or pastries common in Western coffee culture.
- The third round of the coffee, called Bereka, literally translates to 'blessing', turning a simple noun into a spiritual concept.
- In many Ethiopian households, the ቡና ceremony is performed on a specialized patch of fresh green grass and flowers spread on the floor to signify hospitality.
Examples in context
- ቶም ሁልጊዜ ጧት ቡና ይጠጣልTom always drinks coffee in the morning.This sentence shows how to use ቡና when describing a daily morning routine.Tatoeba #4451308 by ghajn97, translation #1027181 by CK
- ቡና በጣም ይጣፍጣል።bunna betam yitafitall.The coffee is very delicious.
- ለእንግዶች ቡና አዘጋጅ።le'ingidoch bunna azegaj.Prepare coffee for the guests.
Example conversation
Sara and Nati are sitting in a cafe.
- ሳራ Saraናቲ፣ ቡና ትፈልጋለህ?Nati, bunna tifeligalleh?Nati, do you want coffee?
- ናቲ Natiአዎ፣ ቡና እፈልጋለሁ።Awo, bunna efeligallehu.Yes, I want coffee.
- ሳራ Saraቡናው በስኳር ይሁን?Bunna'u besikwar yihun?Should the coffee be with sugar?
- ናቲ Natiአይ፣ ያለ ስኳር እፈልጋለሁ።Ay, yale sikwar efeligallehu.No, I want it without sugar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coffee” translations and entries ቡና, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
