¿Tienes café?
The phrase 'do you have coffee?' in Spanish is translated as ¿Tienes café?
This phrase is a question used to ask if someone possesses or has coffee available.
What does it mean word for word?
The word tienes is the second-person singular present indicative form of the verb tener, which means 'you have'.
Which one should you use?
The default form ¿Tienes café? uses the informal 'tú' conjugation and is intended for use with friends, family or people your own age.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, it is common to hear ¿Tenés café? In Spain, if you are referring to coffee that has already been made, you might say ¿Tienes café por ahí? or ¿Tienes café hecho?
How does it change in a sentence?
The form ¿Tiene usted café? is used for the formal singular 'you', while ¿Tienen café? is used for the plural 'you' when addressing multiple people.
Did you know?
- The Spanish word café shares a fascinating history with the Arabic word qahwa, which was originally used to describe a type of wine before it became associated with the coffee bean.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, asking ¿Tienes café? might be seen as a request for a visit rather than a simple inquiry about inventory.
- Asking a waiter ¿Tienes café? in Spain can sound oddly personal because it implies the waiter personally owns the coffee beans.
Examples in context
- Perdone, ¿tiene usted café?Excuse me, do you have coffee?
- ¿Tienes café?Do you have coffee?
Example conversation
Elena is visiting Daniel's house in the morning.
- ElenaHola Daniel, ¿tienes café?Hello Daniel, do you have coffee?
- DanielSí, tengo mucho café recién hecho.Yes, I have plenty of freshly made coffee.
- Elena¡Qué bueno! Gracias.That's great! Thanks.
- DanielDe nada, Elena. Pasa a la cocina.You're welcome, Elena. Come into the kitchen.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries café, CC BY-SA 4.0.
