café com leite
/kaˈfɛ kõ ˈlej.t͡ʃi/word by word
The Portuguese phrase for latte is café com leite.
café com leite is a common way to order a latte in Portugal and Brazil.
Meaning: caffè latte (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, particularly in Lisbon, a galão is a popular type of latte consisting of one part espresso and three parts hot milk.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /kaˈfɛ kõ ˈlej.tʃi/. It has 4 syllables and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- In Brazil, the expression café com leite can be used metaphorically to describe a person who is naive or easily fooled.
- The word café travelled through four different languages, starting from Arabic qahwa and moving through Turkish, Italian and French before entering Portuguese.
- While café com leite is the standard term, ordering a pingado in certain parts of Brazil will get you a small glass of milk with a splash of coffee.
Examples in context
- Eu gostaria de um café com leite, por favor.I would like a latte, please.
- Você quer café com leite ou café puro?Do you want a latte or black coffee?
- O café com leite está muito quente.The latte is very hot.
Example conversation
Camila and Gabriel are at a coffee shop.
- CamilaBom dia, Gabriel! O que você vai pedir?Good morning, Gabriel! What are you going to order?
- GabrielEu vou pedir um café com leite.I am going to order a coffee with milk.
- CamilaEu também vou querer um.I will want one too.
- GabrielCombinado, eu peço para nós dois.Deal, I will order for both of us.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry café com leite, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (café, com, leite) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries café, café com leite, com, leite, CC BY-SA 4.0.
