café
/kaˈfɛ/masculine
The English word coffee is translated into Portuguese as café.
The word café is a masculine noun used to refer to the beverage. In Brazil, it is frequently used to refer specifically to the small, strong black coffee served in a cup, rather than just the bean or the general beverage.
Meaning: beverage (noun)
Which one should you use?
While café is the standard term, the word cafezinho is an informal way to say coffee.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Brazil, café often refers to a small, strong black coffee served in a cup.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word café is a masculine noun, so it is used with masculine articles like o (the) or um (a).
How do you pronounce it?
/kaˈfɛ/
Did you know?
- While the word café refers to the drink, the word cafetaria in Portuguese refers to a coffee shop, but it can also carry the connotation of a place associated with a procurer or pimp.
- In Brazil, you might hear the term café com leite, which refers to coffee with milk. This phrase is also used metaphorically to describe people of mixed racial heritage.
- The word café traces its ancestry back to the Arabic word qahwa, which originally referred to a type of wine before it was used to describe the coffee beverage.
Examples in context
- Esse é o café.This is the coffee.This sentence shows how to identify the coffee using café.Tatoeba #394332 by brauliobezerra, translation #56106 by shekitten
- Eu bebi o café.I drank the coffee.This sentence demonstrates the use of the word with the verb 'drank' and the form café.Tatoeba #2653081 by Ricardo14, translation #2652577 by CK
- O Tom toma café?Does Tom drink coffee?This sentence shows how to ask if someone drinks coffee using café.Tatoeba #5281578 by alexmarcelo, translation #2261209 by CK
- Eu gostaria de um café, por favor.I would like a coffee, please.
- Uma xícara de café, por favor.A cup of coffee, please.
- Você tem café descafeinado?Do you have decaf coffee?
- 691 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Juliana are in the kitchen in the morning.
- LucasVocê quer um café, Juliana?Do you want some coffee, Juliana?
- JulianaSim, eu aceito um café.Yes, I'll have a coffee.
- LucasVocê gosta de café com leite?Do you like coffee with milk?
- JulianaNão, eu prefiro café puro.No, I prefer black coffee.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coffee” translations and entries café, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries café, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
