How do you say "coffee" in Japanese?

コーヒー

kōhī

Noun Katakana

In Japanese, "coffee" is コーヒー (kōhī).

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Pronunciation

コーヒー is written using katakana. Romanised as kōhī, it sounds roughly like "koh-hee" to an English ear.

Writing and usage

Kohi is katakana from 'coffee'. Japanese coffee culture is strong, from kissaten cafes to convenience stores.

Example sentence

冷蔵庫にコーヒーが入っています。

Reizoko ni Kōhī ga haitte imasu.

There is coffee in the fridge.

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How to remember コーヒー

Coffee flows into Japanese as ko-hi-i.

Related words

Browse all Japanese words in the glossary.

See more cafe words.

Questions about コーヒー

How do you pronounce コーヒー?

コーヒー is romanised as kōhī. Say it roughly like "koh-hee" in English. Each Japanese syllable has even weight, so keep the rhythm steady.

Is コーヒー formal or casual?

コーヒー is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is コーヒー written in Japanese?

コーヒー is written using katakana. Kohi is katakana from 'coffee'.

Where can I practice Japanese words for free?

You can play free Japanese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Japanese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Coffee" in other languages

Curated by Callan Ratcliffe

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