How to say coffee in Korean? Are you a coffee enthusiast looking to expand your Korean vocabulary with the various terms for this beloved beverage? You’ve come to the right place! Coffee, with its rich aroma and diverse flavors, holds a special place in cultures around the world, and Korea is no exception. The Korean language offers a delightful array of expressions to describe coffee, each capturing a unique aspect of the coffee experience.
In this post, we’re going to explore the myriad ways to talk about coffee in Korean. From the basic term for coffee to the more nuanced expressions used in different contexts, we’ll dive into the language that surrounds this popular drink. Whether you’re ordering at a café, discussing your favorite brews with friends, or simply wanting to enrich your Korean vocabulary, knowing these coffee-related terms will not only enhance your language skills but also give you a taste of Korea’s vibrant coffee culture.
But it’s not just about the words; it’s about immersing yourself in the nuances of the language and culture. By learning how to say coffee in Korean, you’ll be taking a step closer to sounding like a native speaker, understanding the subtleties of their expressions, and maybe even discovering a new favorite coffee variety along the way. So grab a cup of your favorite coffee, and let’s embark on this linguistic journey together, exploring the rich world of Korean coffee vocabulary.
If you go to a cafe in Korea, you will find the basic coffee is called ‘Americano’ and ice coffee is ‘Ice Americano’. So it is common to say Americano instead of coffee when you want to say coffee in general. Usually, younger people will say Americano instead of coffee most of the time, although older people could still say coffee for a cup of coffee.
How to say coffee in Korean – Korean words abbreviation
Koreans use abbreviations a lot.
Koreans make any long word (although it is not that long) shorter if the word is commonly used. So for Koreans who love coffee and need to say it every day, americano and ice americano are too long to say! Especially ice americano, which is the most popular coffee in Korea is too long for us. So we call ice americano ‘a-a-‘ The first ‘a-‘ is short for ice and the second ‘a-‘ is short for an americano.
Abbreviations for ice americano
| Pronunciation | Korean word | Meaning in Korean | Meaning in English |
| A-a- | 아아 | 아이스 아메리카노 | Ice americano |
You can say a-a- when you want to mention ice coffee in general, or even when you order ice americano at the cafe.
Can I get one ice americano
aiseu amelikano han jan juseyo
아이스 아메리카노 한 잔 주세요
Or, you can just say the abbreviation
a-a- han jan juseyo
아아 한 잔 주세요
How about hot coffee/americano?
How to say coffee in Korean
If you want to order just normal americano, you can say ‘tteu-a-‘ which is short for tteugeoun amelikano. tteugeoun means ‘hot’. So if you want a coffee that is hot, you can say tteu-a- han jan juseyo.
| Pronunciation | Korean word | Meaning in Korean | Meaning in English |
| Tteu-a- | 뜨아 | 뜨거운 아메리카노 | Hot americano |
Fun abbreviation for the ice americano lovers
Somehow, Koreans like ice americano so much. And those who love it so much, don’t care whether it is freezing cold winter or not to drink ice americano. We call those people ‘Eol-jug-a’
| Pronunciation | Korean word | Meaning in Korean | Meaning in English |
| Eol-jug-a | 얼죽아 | 얼어 죽어도 아이스 아메리카노 | Ice americano even though freezing to death |
Other abbreviations for drinks at the cafe
| Pronunciation | Korean word | Meaning in Korean | Meaning in English |
| A-ba-ra | 아바라 | 아이스 바닐라 라떼 | Ice vanilla latte |
Ice vanilla latte is one of the popular drinks in cafes in Korea. It is very common to say a-ba-ra instead of ice vanilla latte.
We have learned how to say coffee in Korean this time. I will come back with more Korean slang or abbreviations next time, so please keep an eye on my upcoming posts! Meanwhile, if you’d like to learn how to say numbers in Korean and colors in Korean, check out the links!