café con leche
/kaˌfe kon ˈlet͡ʃe/
The English phrase milk coffee is translated into Spanish as café con leche.
Café con leche is the most commonly used term for milk coffee in Spanish. You can use the term fuerte to indicate that you want a strong coffee, or use café con leche descafeinado to request decaffeinated milk coffee.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase café con leche literally translates to coffee with milk.
Which one should you use?
If you want your coffee without any milk, you should order café solo instead of café con leche.
Did you know?
- While café con leche is standard, if you are in a Spanish cafe and want a very small, strong coffee with just a tiny splash of milk, you might ask for a manchado.
- The word café actually has roots in the Arabic word qahwa, which originally referred to a type of wine before it was applied to coffee.
- In many parts of Spain, if you simply order a café con leche, you might receive a much larger glass than an English coffee mug, as it is often served in a tall glass to show the layers of the drink.
Examples in context
- Me gustaría un café con leche, por favor.I would like a milk coffee, please.
- ¿Tienen café con leche descafeinado?Do you have decaffeinated milk coffee?
- ¿Vamos a tomar un café con leche?Shall we have a milk coffee?
- Oye, hazme un café con leche clarito, ¿vale?Hey, make me a light milk coffee, okay?
- Quiero un café con leche fuerte, por favor.I want a strong milk coffee, please.
- ¿Me das un café con leche y una medialuna, por favor?Can I have a milk coffee and a croissant, please?
- Quisiera un café con leche y un dulce típico.I would like a milk coffee and a typical sweet.
- Quiero un café con leche, por favor.I want a milk coffee, please.
- Ella prefiere un café con leche frío.She prefers an iced milk coffee.
- No me gusta el café solo, prefiero café con leche.I don't like black coffee, I prefer milk coffee.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are ordering drinks at a cafe.
- Javier¿Qué vas a pedir, Elena?What are you going to order, Elena?
- ElenaPara mí, un café con leche.For me, a milk coffee.
- JavierYo pediré un té verde.I will order a green tea.
- ElenaPerfecto, vamos a pedir ahora.Perfect, let's order now.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry café con leche, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries café, café con leche, con, leche, CC BY-SA 4.0.
