café de especialidad
/kaˌfe de espeθjaliˈdad/masculine
The English phrase specialty coffee is translated into Spanish as café de especialidad. Wiktionary also lists café gourmet.
Meaning: Translations (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| café de especialidad | /kaˌfe de espeθjaliˈdad/ /kaˌfe de espesjaliˈdad/ |
masculine |
| café gourmet | /kafe ɡouɾmet/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
This term is used to describe coffee that has been scored highly by professional tasters.
Which one should you use?
While café de especialidad refers specifically to coffee scored highly by professional tasters, café gourmet is a broader, more commercial term often used in marketing that may not imply the same strict quality standards.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the phrase plural, you pluralize the noun café to become cafés de especialidad, but keep the prepositional phrase de especialidad in its singular form.
How do you pronounce it?
/kaˌfe de espeθjaliˈdad/
Did you know?
- The word café shares an ancient root with the Arabic word qahwa, which originally referred to a type of wine or a substance that suppresses appetite.
- In many Spanish-speaking countries, asking for a café without any descriptors often results in a small, strong espresso rather than a filtered drip coffee.
- Professional tasters who score cafés de especialidad in Spanish-speaking countries are often called catadores, a word that also applies to wine experts.
Examples in context
- Hola, ¿me puedes preparar un café de especialidad?Hello, can you make me a specialty coffee?
- Me gusta el café de especialidad con notas de chocolate.I like specialty coffee with chocolate notes.
- Este es un excelente café de especialidad.This is an excellent specialty coffee.
- Buscamos un café de especialidad con notas frutales.We are looking for a specialty coffee with fruity notes.
- El café de especialidad es más caro que el común.Specialty coffee is more expensive than regular coffee.
Example conversation
Daniel and Lucía are at a new cafe.
- DanielLucía, ¿has probado el café de especialidad aquí?Lucía, have you tried the specialty coffee here?
- LucíaNo, Daniel, pero huele muy bien.No, Daniel, but it smells very good.
- DanielDicen que usan granos muy selectos.They say they use very select beans.
- LucíaEntonces pidamos uno para compartir.Then let's order one to share.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “specialty coffee” translations and entries café de especialidad, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries café, de, gourmet, CC BY-SA 4.0.
