How To Say Cup Of Coffee In Irish

Let’s take a bitesized (gulp-sized?!) look at how to say ‘cup of coffee’ in Irish, plus some associated terms and vocabulary!

The Irish term for coffee is simply caife /kaf-ay/

The word for the place where we go to buy or drink a coffee, a café, is very similar: caifé /kaf-AY/

You may notice that this word has a síneadh fada on the ‘e’ at the end of the word, so we are going to place emphasis on this second syllable.

This is how you say cup of coffee: cupán caife /kup-awn kaf-ay/

If you were to order one you could say: Cupán caife le do thoil /Kup-awn kaf-ay leh duh huh-il/

Alternatively, if a friend were to ask you what you’d like to drink you might answer ‘I’d love a cup of coffee’: Ba bhreá liom cupán caife /Buh vraw lyum kup-awn kaf-ay/

This statement is in the conditional mood, or an modh coinníolach /un moe kun-eel-ukh/. Don’t believe the hype – the conditional is not as difficult as people sometimes make it out to be. Check out comedian Des Bishop’s playful sketch about the topic!

I don’t know about you but I drink my coffee black. The Irish for black coffee is caife dubh /kaf-ay duv/

Flavour is important but, honestly, part of the reason that I start my day with a nice strong coffee is that vital caffeine hit! Here’s how to say ‘that coffee gave me a lift’: Chuir an caife sin brí ionam /Kwirj un kaf-ay shin brree un-um/

The word brí /bree/ here means ‘strength’ or ‘vigour’.

More power to you!