cà phê Việt Nam
[kaː˨˩ fe˧˧ viət̚˧˨ʔ naːm˧˧]word by word
The English phrase "vietnamese coffee" is translated into Vietnamese as cà phê Việt Nam.
The phrase is used to refer to coffee that is produced in or associated with Vietnam. While cà phê Việt Nam is a direct way to name the coffee, speakers often use the shorter phrase cà phê sữa when referring to the iconic coffee with condensed milk.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of cà phê (coffee) followed by Việt Nam (Vietnam).
Which one should you use?
While cà phê Việt Nam is the standard full phrase, you may encounter the variation cà phê sữa đá, which specifically refers to iced coffee with condensed milk.
How does it change in a sentence?
In casual speech, the country name Việt Nam is often shortened to the adjective Việt to mean "Vietnamese", resulting in the form cà phê Việt.
Did you know?
- Beyond the standard cà phê sữa, you might find cà phê trứng which is coffee topped with a creamy, beaten egg foam. It is a specialty of Hanoi and tastes more like a dessert than a drink.
- While 'cà phê' is the standard word for coffee, the word phê is also used as a slang adjective to describe a state of being 'high' or intensely euphoric.
- The word phê in cà phê might actually be a linguistic souvenir from the French word 'fée', meaning 'fairy'.
Examples in context
- Cà phê Việt Nam rất ngonVietnamese coffee is delicious
- Tôi thích uống cà phê Việt Nam.I like drinking Vietnamese coffee.
- Cà phê Việt Nam có mùi rất thơm.Vietnamese coffee smells very fragrant.
- Bạn đã thử cà phê Việt Nam chưa?Have you tried Vietnamese coffee yet?
Example conversation
Tuấn and Hương are at a cafe.
- TuấnHương, bạn muốn uống gì?Hương, what do you want to drink?
- HươngTôi muốn uống một ly cà phê Việt Nam.I want to drink a glass of Vietnamese coffee.
- TuấnBạn uống với sữa hay uống đen?Do you drink it with milk or black?
- HươngCho tôi một ly cà phê sữa nhé.Give me a coffee with milk, please.
