café para llevar
/kafe paɾa ʝebaɾ/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'take away coffee' is translated into Spanish as café para llevar.
Use café para llevar when you want to order a coffee to drink outside the establishment.
What does it mean word for word?
The part para llevar literally means 'for carrying' or 'to take away'.
Which one should you use?
If you intend to drink your coffee inside the cafe, you would use para tomar aquí instead of para llevar.
Did you know?
- The word café has a lineage that traces back to the Arabic word qahwa, which originally referred to a type of wine before being applied to coffee.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, ordering a café para llevar is less common than sitting down, as the 'café culture' is deeply rooted in social, stationary interaction.
- In Spain, ordering café para llevar might be rare in small village bars where drinking coffee standing up at the counter is the standard social norm.
Examples in context
- Me gustaría un café para llevar, por favor.I would like a coffee to go, please
- Un café para llevar, porfa.A coffee to go, please
- ¿Me das un café para llevar, porfi?Can you give me a coffee to go, pretty please?
- Quiero un café para llevar, por favor.I want a take away coffee, please.
- ¿Puedo pedir un café para llevar?Can I order a take away coffee?
- Tengo un café para llevar en la mano.I have a take away coffee in my hand.
Example conversation
At a small coffee shop in the morning.
- MateoHola, ¿qué desea tomar?Hello, what would you like to drink?
- SofíaUn café para llevar, por favor.A take away coffee, please.
- MateoMuy bien, ¿le preparo un café solo?Very well, shall I prepare a black coffee for you?
- SofíaSí, gracias.Yes, thank you.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries café, llevar, para, CC BY-SA 4.0.
