Ways to say it
| Lebanese Arabic | Romanization | Note |
|---|---|---|
| قهوة | ahwe | |
| قهوة سادة | ahwe sadeh | no sugar |
| قهوة وسط | ahwe wasat | medium sugar |
| قهوة حلوة | ahwe helweh | sweet |
Lebanese coffee is ordered by sugar level: قهوة سادة (ahwe sadeh) with no sugar, قهوة وسط (ahwe wasat) with medium sugar, and قهوة حلوة (ahwe helweh) sweet.
What does it mean word for word?
قهوة is the word for the drink itself. سادة means 'plain', وسط means 'middle' and حلوة means 'sweet', each describing how much sugar is boiled into the pot.
Which one should you use?
Lebanese coffee, thick and unfiltered, is different from instant coffee, which is usually just called نسكافيه (nescafe) regardless of the actual brand.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
The word and its sugar-level variants are used the same way in every setting, from a home kitchen to a café order.
Is it said differently in some regions?
The same coffee tradition, and the same three sugar levels, is shared with Syria, Jordan and Palestine, differing mainly in small details like cup size.
How does it change in a sentence?
قهوة does not change with gender or number in these phrases, since it describes the drink rather than agreeing with a person.
How do you pronounce it?
The Lebanese ق is pronounced as a glottal stop, so قهوة sounds like 'ahwe', not the Standard Arabic 'qahwa'.
What mistakes should you avoid?
Ordering just قهوة without specifying the sugar level is fine among friends who already know your taste, but in a café it usually prompts the question سادة، وسط ولا حلوة؟.
When do people say it?
Lebanese coffee is often read for fortune telling after drinking, by turning the cup upside down and reading the patterns left in the grounds, a custom called قراية فنجان.
Did you know?
- Lebanese coffee is boiled, not brewed or dripped, in a small long-handled pot called a ركوة (rakweh).
- Reading the leftover grounds in an upside-down coffee cup is a common Lebanese and Levantine fortune-telling custom, practiced casually among friends.
Examples in context
- بدي قهوة وسط، لو سمحت.biddi ahwe wasat, law samaht.I want a medium-sugar coffee, please.
- عملتلك قهوة سادة.amaltlak ahwe sadeh.I made you a coffee with no sugar.
- بتحب قهوتك حلوة ولا سادة؟btihib ahwtak helweh walla sadeh?Do you like your coffee sweet or plain?
Example conversation
Host Mona offers her guest Ramzi a coffee at home.
- Monaبتحب قهوة؟btihib ahwe?Would you like a coffee?
- Ramziأهلا، قهوة وسط لو سمحتي.ahlan, ahwe wasat law samahti.Sure, medium-sugar coffee please.
- Monaتمام، جاهزة بدقيقتين.tamam, jahzeh bidaqiqtein.Okay, it'll be ready in two minutes.
- Ramziيسلم إيدك.yislam iydik.Thanks a lot (literally "bless your hands").
