kava
feminine
The English word coffee is kava in Lithuanian.
kava refers to the coffee beverage. If you wish to specify black coffee, you use the term juoda kava. Another common term is šaltas kavos kokteilis, which means a cold coffee cocktail.
Meaning: beverage (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
kava is a feminine noun. When coffee is the direct object of a verb, such as 'to drink coffee', the ending changes from kava to kavą. To express possession or quantity, such as 'a cup of coffee', the genitive form kavos is used. Additionally, when using adjectives like 'black' (juoda), they must agree with the feminine gender of kava.
Did you know?
- In Lithuania, the phrase eikime kavai literally means 'let us go for coffee' but is often used as a general invitation to catch up or have a meeting, regardless of what is actually drunk.
- The word kava shares an ancient lineage with the Arabic word qahwa, which originally referred to a type of wine before being applied to coffee.
Examples in context
- Jam patinka juoda kava.He likes black coffee.This sentence shows how to express a preference for black coffee using kava.Tatoeba #10662566 by glavsaltulo, translation #9236370 by Nylez
- Kava buvo tokia karšta, kad aš negalėjau jos gerti.The coffee was so hot that I could not drink it.This sentence illustrates how to describe the temperature of the coffee using kava.Tatoeba #11986885 by glavsaltulo, translation #11987101 by Wobbelle
- Kava yra karti.The coffee is bitter.This sentence demonstrates how to describe the taste of the coffee using kava.Tatoeba #2158316 by kotik, translation #1133803 by Eldad
- Ar norite kavos?Would you like some coffee?
- Ar galėčiau gauti kavos?May I have some coffee, please?
- Ačiū, bet aš negersiu kavos.Thank you, but I won't drink coffee.
- Ar nori kavos?Do you want coffee?
Example conversation
Tomas and Rūta are meeting at a cafe.
- TomasAr norėtum kavos?Would you like some coffee?
- RūtaTaip, ačiū, kava būtų puiki.Yes, thanks, coffee would be great.
- TomasKiek cukraus į kava?How much sugar in the coffee?
- RūtaMan kava be cukraus.I take my coffee without sugar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coffee” translations and entries kava, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries kava, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
