Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| café | /kaˈfe/ | masculine |
| tinto | /ˈtinto/ | masculine |
| feca | /ˈfeka/ | masculine, slang |
| cafelito | /kafeˈlito/ | masculine |
café is the standard masculine noun for the beverage. It can also refer to a coffee shop establishment or be used as an adjective to describe a pale brown colour. For a formal way to describe the beverage, you might see the phrase infusión de café. To specify a single serving, you can say taza de café (cup of coffee).
Which one should you use?
While café is the general term for the beverage, it can also mean the establishment where coffee is served or the color brown. In certain contexts, tinto is used specifically for black coffee and feca is used as a slang alternative.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
café is the standard term suitable for most situations. feca is a slang term used in certain informal contexts. In Latin America, cafecito is an endearing, informal term used to refer to a small cup of coffee.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Colombia, tinto is commonly used to refer to a small cup of strong-flavored black coffee. In Spain, you can order café solo to get a shot of espresso or café con leche to request coffee with milk. In Mexico, café de olla refers to a traditional coffee brewed in clay pots. In Argentina and Uruguay, greca is an informal term for coffee brewed in a stovetop espresso maker.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
You can create a more affectionate or casual way to refer to the drink by adding the diminutive suffix -ito to the end of the word, resulting in cafecito.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaˈfe/
Did you know?
- The word feca is a form of vesre, a slang system where syllables are reversed to create a secret language.
- While tinto refers to black coffee in Colombia, in other Spanish speaking countries it usually describes a red wine.
Examples in context
- Hay café y café.There's coffee, and then there's COFFEE.This sentence uses café to emphasize the difference between two types of coffee.Tatoeba #573035 by Shishir, translation #573075 by sacredceltic
- Ve a traer café.Go get coffee.This sentence shows how to use café when asking someone to fetch the drink.Tatoeba #2774187 by marcelostockle, translation #2230765 by CK
- No hay más café.There's no coffee left.This sentence demonstrates how to use café when stating that the supply has run out.Tatoeba #2940976 by hayastan, translation #4405263 by XenoKat
- Me gustaría una taza de café, por favor.I would like a cup of coffee, please.
- ¿Cómo te gusta el café?How do you like your coffee?
- Prefiero el café con leche.I prefer coffee with milk.
- 742 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and María are in a kitchen during the morning.
- Daniel¿Quieres un café, María?Do you want a coffee, María?
- MaríaSí, por favor, Daniel.Yes, please, Daniel.
- DanielEl café está muy caliente.The coffee is very hot.
- MaríaGracias, es perfecto.Thanks, it is perfect.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “coffee” translations and entries café, tinto, feca, cafelito, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cafelito, café, feca, tinto, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
