How Coffee Is Called Around the World: Country by Country

Ever wonder why Americans say ‘coffee’ while the Turks say ‘kahve’ and the Swedes say ‘kaffe’? If you’ve ever traveled, studied languages, or just love coffee culture, you’ve likely noticed that everyone seems to have their own word for the same drink. But what are those words—and what do they tell us?

In short: more than 20 countries call coffee everything from ‘kaffe’ (Sweden, Norway, Denmark) to ‘kahve’ (Turkey), ‘café’ (France), and ‘kava’ (Czech Republic). This article lists the exact local word for coffee in over 20 countries, including the US, UK, Brazil, Germany, Greece, Italy, Spain, and more.

How Different Countries Say 'Coffee'

From Europe to the Americas and beyond, the word ‘coffee’ takes on dozens of forms. While the English-speaking world mostly uses ‘coffee,’ other regions have their own linguistic roots—often tied to the Ottoman Empire, trade routes, or colonial history. Below is a clear list of how 20+ countries refer to coffee in their native tongue.

English-Speaking Countries

Countries where English is the primary language mostly use a version of the word ‘coffee.’

• United States: Coffee
• United Kingdom: Coffee
• Canada: (Implied English usage: Coffee)

European Countries

European languages show a mix of linguistic origins, many from the Ottoman Turkish ‘kahve’ or directly from Italian or Dutch.

• Sweden: Kaffe
• Norway: Kaffe
• Denmark: Kaffe
• Netherlands: Koffie
• Germany: Kaffee
• Austria: Kaffee (listed as 'kav' in error; corrected to standard 'Kaffee')
• Poland: Kawa
• Czech Republic: Kava
• Slovakia: (Not listed, but closely related to Czech: Kava)
• Hungary: Kávé (listed as 'kav' and 'kavé'; corrected to standard 'Kávé')
• Romania: Kafea
• France: Café (HTML entity Çafé resolved)
• Belgium (French-speaking): Café
• Italy: Caffè (HTML entity 'Caffè' resolved)
• Spain: Café (HTML entity 'Cafè' resolved)
• Portugal: Café (HTML entity 'Café' resolved)
• Greece: Kafé (HTML entity 'kafé' resolved)

Other Notable Regions

Beyond Europe, several non-European countries also have unique terms for coffee, often influenced by trade or colonial history.

• Brazil: Café (HTML entity 'Café' resolved)
• Russia: Кофе (transliterated: Kofe, listed as 'Kophe'; corrected to standard 'Kofe' or 'Koffee')

Why Do These Words Differ?

The variations mostly stem from the word’s journey through languages and empires. ‘Coffee’ entered European languages largely via Italian (‘caffe’) and Dutch (‘koffie’), which themselves borrowed from the Ottoman Turkish ‘kahve,’ which came from Arabic ‘qahwa.’ Over time, each language adapted the word phonetically and orthographically.

For example, the Swedish ‘kaffe,’ Norwegian ‘kaffe,’ and Danish ‘kaffe’ all come from the same Dutch root. Meanwhile, the French ‘café,’ Spanish ‘café,’ and Portuguese ‘café’ all stem from the Italian ‘caffe,’ filtered through trade routes. Turkey’s ‘kahve’ and Greece’s ‘kafé’ reflect the Ottoman influence in their regions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the most common word for coffee around the world?

The most common and widely recognized word is ‘coffee’ (used in English) or its close variants like ‘café’ (French, Spanish, Portuguese), ‘caffe’ (Italian), and ‘kaffee’ (German). These trace back to the original Arabic ‘qahwa’ via Ottoman Turkish ‘kahve’ and Italian trade routes.

Why do some countries say ‘kaffe’?

Countries like Sweden, Norway, and Denmark say ‘kaffe’ because their word derives from the Dutch ‘koffie.’ Dutch traders played a major role in bringing coffee to Northern Europe, and their pronunciation and spelling influenced the local terms.

Is there a connection between 'kahve' and 'coffee'?

Yes. The Turkish word ‘kahve’ and similar-sounding terms in the Balkans and Middle East come from Arabic ‘qahwa.’ That word traveled into Turkish during the Ottoman Empire and then into European languages like Greek (kafé) and eventually others. The English ‘coffee’ came via Dutch ‘koffie’ and Italian ‘caffe.’

Why does France say 'café' and Germany says 'Kaffee'?

France’s ‘café’ and Germany’s ‘Kaffee’ both come from the same root—but took different paths. ‘Café’ comes through Italian ‘caffe’ and spread with French trade and colonial influence. ‘Kaffee’ comes from the Dutch ‘koffie,’ which entered Germanic languages with slightly different pronunciation and spelling rules.

Do any countries use completely different words not linked to 'coffee'?

Most countries use words that ultimately trace back to Arabic ‘qahwa’ via Turkish ‘kahve.’ However, in Japan, for example, the word is ‘koohii’ (コーヒー), which is also borrowed from Dutch ‘koffie.’ There are very few truly independent words for coffee; most are linguistic adaptations of the same source.

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