Hello, coffee lovers! In this article, you’ll learn how to say “coffee” in Korean. As you may have already realized, knowing some quick phrases for coffee shops can be mighty helpful. However, before you can get started on speaking out sentences, perhaps you need to learn some actual Korean vocabulary for coffee, as well as related terms.
These words, in combination with the phrases you’re about to learn, will have you mastering ordering coffee and other related conversations for your next visit to a Korean coffee shop!
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How to say “coffee” in Korean
The Korean word for “coffee” is 커피 (keopi). It’s a loan word from English, so it’s an easy one to remember; just need to make sure you get that small tweak in pronunciation right! Mostly this means replacing the double “ff” in English with “p.”
Additionally, be careful not to stress the vowel ㅓ so much it turns into ㅗ, as there is a similar word, 코피 (kopi), which means “nose bleed,” and you do not want to accidentally order that in the store!
Here’s a quick list of words related to “coffee” in Korean.
| English | Korean |
|---|---|
| coffee bean | 커피 콩 (keopi kong) |
| coffee maker | 커피 메이커 (keopi meikeo) |
| coffee pot | 커피 주전자 (keopi jujeonja) |
| hand drip | 핸드 드립 (haendeu deurip) |
| coffee shop | 커피 샵 (keopi shyap), 커피숍 (keopisyop), 커피 전문점(keopi jeonmunjeom) |
| cafe | 카페 (kape) |
| barista | 바리스타 (bariseuta) |
| take-away cup | 휴대용 컵 (hyudaeyong keop) |
Most common coffee and hot beverages you can order in a cafe
Here’s another quick list you’ll usually find in the menu that Koreans really love! You can pick out and memorize your favorite coffee order to request in a Korean coffee shop from this list. Note that, many times, when you order in a cafe, the coffee drinks are presented with the word “cafe” or “coffee” in front of them. So, a latte may be a cafe latte, and so on.
| English | Korean |
|---|---|
| black coffee | 블랙 커피 (beullaek keopi) |
| filter coffee | 필터 커피 (pilteo keopi) |
| drip coffee | 드립 커피 (deurip keopi) |
| hand drip coffee | 핸드드립커피 (haendeudeuripkeopi) |
| americano | 아메리카노 (amerikano) |
| cappuccino | 카푸치노 (kapuchino) |
| latte | 라떼 (latte) |
| mocha | 모카 (moka) |
| macchiato | 마끼아또 (makkiatto) |
| caramel macchiato | 카라멜 마끼아또 (karamel makkiatto) |
| espresso | 에스프레소 (eseupeureso) |
| espresso shot | 에스프레소 샷 (eseupeureso syat) |
| cold brew | 콜드브루 (koldeubeuru) |
| dutch coffee | 더치커피 (deochikeopi) |
| vanilla latte | 바닐라라떼 (banillalatte) |
| affogato | 아포가또 (apogatto) |
| shakerato | 샤케라또 (syakeratto) |
| hot chocolate | 핫 초코릿 (hat chokolit), 핫 초코렛 (hat chokolet) |
| tea | 차 (cha) |
| green tea | 녹차 (nokcha) |
| black tea | 홍차 (hongcha) |
| chai tea latte | 차이 티 라떼 (chai ti latte) |
| green tea latte | 녹차라떼 (nokchalatte), 그린티라떼 (geurintilatte) |
| black tea latte | 홍차라떼 (hongchalatte) |
| chocolate latte | 초코라떼 (chokolatte) |
| sweet potato latte | 고구마라떼 (gogumalatte) |
Other beverages you can order in a cafe
Here are some more drinks you can typically find in a coffee shop. It’s great to have this information so you can order once you hit the local Starbucks or indie cafe in Seoul !
| English | Korean |
|---|---|
| chamomile tea | 캐모마일차(kaemomailcha) |
| citron tea | 유자차 (yujacha) |
| earl grey tea | 얼그레이차 (eolgeureicha) |
| grapefruit tea | 자몽차 (jamongcha) |
| peppermint tea | 페퍼민트차 (pepeominteucha) |
| milk tea | 밀크티 (milkeuti) |
| jujube tea | 대추차 (daechucha) |
| lemonade | 레몬에이드 (lemoneideu) |
| grapefruit ade | 자몽에이드 (jamongeideu) |
| green grape ade | 청포도에이드 (cheongpodoeideu) |
| strawberry ade | 딸기에이드 (ttalgieideu) |
| smoothie | 스무디 (seumudi) |
| milkshake | 쉐이크 (sweikeu) |
| watermelon juice | 수박주스 (subakjuseu) |
| strawberry juice | 딸기주스 (ttalkijuseu) |
| green grape juice | 청포도주스 (cheongpodojuseu) |
| grapefruit juice | 자몽주스 (jamongjuseu) |
| sikhye | 식혜 (sikhye) |
Sample sentences to use in a Korean coffee shop
Although the quick Korean phrases for the cafe will give you a quick roundabout for how to order coffee, here are some more example sentences you may find useful when talking about coffee. With these, you can be specific with your preference, whether you like black coffee, latte, or iced coffee. As a motivation, you can’t drink coffee in South Korea unless you get familiar with these phrases, so give it a try!
나는 커피를 블랙으로 마시는 것을 좋아해. (naneun keopireul beullaegeuro masineun geoseul joahae.)
I like to drink my coffee black.
커피에 우유와 설탕을 넣어 주시겠어요? (keopie uyuwa seoltangeul neoeo jusigesseoyo?)
Can I have milk and sugar in my coffee, please?
죄송하지만 저는 녹차 라떼를 싫어해요. (joesonghajiman jeoneun nokcha rattereul sileohaeyo.)
I’m sorry, but I dislike green tea latte.
매일매일 커피를 마셔요. (maeilmaeil keopireul masyeoyo.)
I drink coffee every single day.
If you’d like to learn more phrases to use in coffee shops, like when you want to pay in cash, order for takeout, etc., here’s our article dedicated to that.
Wrap Up
Whether you love Iced Americano, brewed coffee, instant coffee, or just enjoy being in a coffee shop, you’ll find these words helpful! Now you’ve been equipped with a lot of knowledge of the vocabulary for coffee in the Korean language, plus the most common coffee and other types of drinks you can buy in coffee shops in Korea. As you learn Korean, why don’t you try ordering a good cup of coffee and perhaps a slice of cake, too?
Do you think you’ll be ready to fall in love with Korean coffee culture now? We hope you’ll get to experience this and along with Korean culture in general.
