Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| café expresso | /kaˈfɛ isˈpɾɛ.su/ (Brazil, word by word) | masculine |
| expresso | /isˈpɾɛ.su/ (Brazil) /esˈpɾɛ.su/ (Brazil) |
masculine |
| bica | /ˈbi.kɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈbi.kɐ/ (Portugal) |
Portugal, Southern, feminine |
| cimbalino | /sĩ.baˈlĩ.nu/ (Brazil) /sĩ.bɐˈli.nu/ (Portugal) |
Northern, Portugal, masculine |
The term refers to a strong type of coffee. To order an espresso, one should specify um café. Other related coffee types include galão, which is a milky coffee and pingado, an informal term for an espresso with a dash of milk.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Lisbon and southern Portugal, people often use the word bica to refer to an espresso. In the north, cimbalino is used. Additionally, in the Azores, cimbalino is a popular local term for espresso. In Porto, the term café curto means "short coffee" and is equivalent to an espresso.
How does it change in a sentence?
café expresso and expresso are masculine nouns, while bica is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaˈfɛ isˈpɾɛ.su/. The word has 4 syllables, and the stress is on the 2nd syllable.
When do people say it?
Cafézinho is an endearing term used across Portugal to refer to a small coffee, including espresso.
Did you know?
- The Portuguese word café traveled through four languages before arriving in Portuguese, moving from Arabic to Ottoman Turkish and then through Italian and French.
- In Portugal, an espresso is so central to social life that it is often used as a generic excuse to pause a conversation or a meeting.
Examples in context
- Eu quero um café expresso, por favor.I want an espresso, please.
- Este café expresso está muito quente.This espresso is very hot.
- Você prefere café expresso ou coado?Do you prefer espresso or brewed coffee?
Example conversation
Lucas and Mariana are at a small cafe in the morning.
- LucasMariana, você quer um café expresso?Mariana, do you want an espresso?
- MarianaSim, eu adoraria um café expresso agora.Yes, I would love an espresso now.
- LucasVou pedir dois cafés para nós.I will order two coffees for us.
- MarianaObrigada, Lucas, você é muito gentil.Thank you, Lucas, you are very kind.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “espresso” translations and entries expresso, bica, cimbalino, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (café, expresso) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries bica, café, cimbalino, expresso, CC BY-SA 4.0.
