قهوة
gəhwə/qah.wa/Gulf Arabic
coffee in Arabic is قهوة (gəhwə). Wiktionary also lists قَهْوَة (qahwa) and گهوة (gəhwə).
Meaning: beverage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Arabic | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| قهوة | gəhwə | /qah.wa/ /ʔah.wa/ (Egypt) |
Gulf Arabic |
| قَهْوَة | qahwa | feminine | |
| گهوة | gəhwə | Gulf Arabic |
The word is used to refer to the coffee beverage. When you want to order plain black coffee without any additional flavors or ingredients, you can use the term قهوة سادة.
Which one should you use?
The standard form قَهْوَة uses a 'q' sound, while the Gulf Arabic forms قهوة and گهوة use a 'g' sound.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In many Gulf dialects, the 'q' sound is often pronounced as a 'g' as in 'game', appearing as قهوة or گهوة. In Levantine countries and in the Gulf region, قهوة تركية refers to Turkish coffee. To refer to traditional Arabic coffee, you may use قهوة عربية or القهوة العربية depending on the setting.
How does it change in a sentence?
قَهْوَة is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
gəhwə
Did you know?
- The word قهوة originally referred to wine rather than the coffee bean. It was later repurposed to describe coffee as a way to maintain the same social rituals of hospitality without the intoxicating effects of alcohol.
Examples in context
- ليس هناك قهوة كافية.There's not enough coffee.This sentence demonstrates the use of قهوة to indicate an insufficient amount.Tatoeba #4982173 by wuvixx, translation #1214398 by jared1981
- أحتاج إلى قهوة الصباح.I need coffee in the morning.This sentence shows how to use قهوة when expressing a morning need.Tatoeba #11896389 by Safa_Alfulaij, translation #6050343 by Hybrid
- علمتني عمتي كيف أحضّر قهوةً لذيذة.My aunt showed me how to make good coffee.This sentence uses قهوة to describe making a delicious beverage.Tatoeba #370643 by saeb, translation #64925 by CK
- هل تود كوب قهوة؟Would you like a cup of coffee?
- أحب القهوة كثيراً!I love coffee very much!
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Layla and Ahmed are meeting at a cafe.
- ليلى Laylaتبي تشرب قهوة معي؟Tibi tashrab qahwa ma'i?Do you want to drink coffee with me?
- أحمد Ahmedإي والله، أنا أحب القهوة.Ee wallah, ana ahib al-qahwa.Yes please, I love coffee.
- ليلى Laylaوش تطلب، قهوة سوداء ولا بالحليب؟Wish totlub, qahwa sawda wala bil-haleeb?What will you order, black coffee or with milk?
- أحمد Ahmedأبي قهوة سوداء لو سمحتِ.Abi qahwa sawda law samahti.I want black coffee, please.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coffee” translations and entries قهوة, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries قهوة, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
