The Vocabulary Show: Coffee ☕☕☕ Learn 26 English words and phrases in 12 minutes!

Hello and welcome! Today, we are brewing up a lesson on all things coffee-related.

From bean to cup, we'll teach you all the words, phrases, expressions, and idioms you need  

to talk about the world's favourite drink. For many of us (myself included), the day doesn't  

truly begin until we've had our caffeine fix. This is a serving of caffeine, usually in the  

form of a cup of coffee or tea. We use this to say we are satisfying a strong urge or strong craving,  

or that we are unable to function until we get our first cup of coffee of the day. For example:  

"I can't focus on anything until I've had my caffeine fix." A similar phrase with the same  

meaning is "caffeine hit." For example: "Jerry is very grumpy until he's had his caffeine hit."

So, let's get our first caffeine fix or  caffeine hit with a nice cup of joe.

A "cup of joe" is a common alternative name for a cup of coffee. It is used in American English  

to talk about a normal, no-frills, standard cup of coffee. This is a North American expression,  

and you would be unlikely to hear it in  other parts of the world. So, let's take  

a look at the pronunciation here. You can say it in the standard way: "a cup of joe," or you  

can shorten "cup of" to "cuppa." Very often, when we talk about "a cup of" something, we change the  

pronunciation to make it easier for our mouths, so the "of" in "cup of" becomes an "ah" sound:  

"a cuppa." So we might say "a cup of coffee," "a cup of tea," or "a cup of hot chocolate."  

Try it yourself; it's a lot easier to say,  and you'll sound more natural and fluent.

Now, let's get back to our coffee. For me, I often like to lie in late—I get up just at  

the last minute, so I don't have too much time in the morning. I might make myself  

a cup of instant coffee. Instant coffee  is when hot water is added to a powdered  

coffee mix to make a quick and easy coffee. In some countries and in some parts of the world,  

it also comes pre-mixed with sugar and/or milk as well.

Let's take a quick look at some of the  utensils and kitchenware that you might  

use if you are making a cup of coffee. First, you might want to boil your kettle or possibly  

your electric kettle. If you're making fresh coffee, you'll need your coffee beans or your  

ground coffee. If you're lucky enough to have one, you might be able to just use your coffee machine.  

You might want to add some milk or a few spoons of sugar. Lastly, you're going to take a nice  

big swig from your favorite mug. But I can hear you asking already: "Dylan, what's the difference  

between a cup and a mug?" Well, I'm glad you asked! A mug is usually larger, with a thick,  

sturdy handle on the side. A cup, on the other hand, is smaller, with a delicate handle meant  

for a thumb and a finger or two. A cup is often used with a saucer, while a mug usually is not.  

In everyday conversation, we usually say "a cup of coffee," even if we are actually using a mug.

In modern coffee shops, the word "cup" has evolved even further. The takeaway containers that we use,  

made of paper, plastic, or polystyrene, are also called "cups," despite looking and feeling very  

different from their traditional cup appearance. A nice slang term that we use in the UK, in British  

English, for coffee is "a cuppa." We talked about this pronunciation earlier, but we can also  

use "cuppa" as a noun to mean a cup of coffee. Traditionally, we used "cuppa" to talk about tea,  

but nowadays, we use it to talk about any hot drink: "I'm making a cuppa—do you fancy one?"

Of course, there are many more types  of coffee than just instant coffee,  

and these include a latte, which is a  creamy coffee with milk; an espresso,  

which is a small, intense coffee shot; a flat white, which is smooth and milky; a mocha,  

which is a lovely chocolatey coffee; or  an Americano, which is an espresso with  

added water. Share your favourite kinds of coffee in the comments section below!

There are also many different ways of customizing your coffee for your personal taste. We've already  

spoken about adding milk to our coffee, but now we have more milk options than ever before. The  

most common way is still cow's milk, so when you say "milk," it will usually be assumed that you  

mean cow's milk. But there are tons of additional choices: you could add some soy milk (this is a  

non-dairy milk made from soybeans), oat milk (which is a plant-based milk made from—yep,  

you guessed it—oats), or almond milk (which, funnily enough, is made from almonds).

But what if you don't want any milk at all? Well, it's simple: you just ask for a black coffee,  

which is a mix of coffee and water only. If you have a bit of a sweet tooth like I do,  

then you might want to add some sugar. To say exactly how much sugar we want,  

we usually use the measure word  "spoons," as in "spoons of sugar":  

"I'll take a coffee with two spoons of sugar, please." "Spoons" in this context means teaspoons,  

not tablespoons—don't worry, we don't have that much of a sweet tooth! A healthy alternative  

might be a drop of honey. This is a sweet, sugary substance made by bees, and it adds a different,  

more complex sugary taste to your coffee—I highly recommend it. And there are some people  

who like to add a bit of syrup to their  coffee. This is a mix of sugar, water,  

and flavourings such as vanilla, hazelnut, or caramel, and they add a nice kick to your coffee.

Ah, that was a delicious cup of coffee! But what are some more precise or useful terms to talk  

about a delicious drink? Let's take a look. Where better to start than "bitter"? If something tastes  

bitter, it has a sharp taste that is neither salty nor sweet. If food or drink is too bitter, it can  

be quite unpleasant. We often find this particular taste in coffee, dark chocolate, or dark leafy  

green vegetables: "Hmm, my coffee is a little bitter; I better add some more milk." The opposite  

of bitter is sweet. If something is sweet, it has a pleasing, sugary taste. If something has a full,  

deep flavour with lots of complexity, we can say it is rich. It has a satisfying taste with a strong,  

complex flavour. For example: "My Colombian coffee offered a rich, deep flavour."

Ah, this is the perfect opportunity to  take a little coffee break! A coffee  

break is a short period of rest. We  often use it during the working week,  

to break up a meeting, or to break up  the day. It is a time to socialize,  

to have a snack, and to have a drink  of your choice. It could be coffee;

it could be something else. So now we're going to take a look at the language of coffee shops.

The first person you are likely to meet in your coffee shop is the barista. This is someone who  

is professionally trained to make and brew coffee. Traditionally, this would have been  

used to describe someone with expert knowledge of coffee and the brewing processes, but nowadays  

we use it interchangeably with anybody who makes and serves coffee in a coffee shop.   

A more general term for somebody who takes your orders and serves you your coffee is a server.

Okay, so you go to the counter, you order your drink, but you are feeling extra tired today,  

so why not try ordering an extra shot?  A "shot" refers to a single serving  

of espresso. Most coffees you order, including lattes, Americanos, or cappuccinos, usually have  

a single shot of espresso in them. To get more of a caffeine fix, try ordering an extra shot to get  

double the amount of coffee! Let's explore some other fun options to add to your coffee. You might  

be asked if you want some whipped cream. This is an aerated cream with a light and fluffy texture,  

and a personal favorite of mine! If  you're already feeling in a fun mood,  

you might want to add some sprinkles. These are colourful pieces of chocolate that add a nice,  

rich, sweet taste to your drink. Or how about adding some marshmallows? These are soft,  

fluffy snacks that melt when added to your coffee and add a soft, creamy, rich taste.

How about when you want to buy a coffee in a coffee shop, but you don't want to sit down  

and drink it there? You want to drink  it somewhere else. In this situation,  

you should ask for your coffee "to go." This means that they will put it in a disposable cup  

that you can take away with you. Or you can say you want it "to take away," which means  

the same thing. Or "to take out." "To go," "to take away," and "to take out" all mean  

that you want to leave the establishment with your coffee, not drink it there.

It's been a long, exciting day, and we've finally arrived home. How about one final  

coffee before bed? I know what you're  thinking: "At this time? No way!" But  

don't worry because I've got decaf. "Decaf" is short for 'decaffeinated coffee'. This  

means it has no caffeine in it, so you can drink it in the afternoon, in the evening,  

or at night without worrying that you  will stay awake all night because of it.

Thanks for joining us on this caffeinated adventure through the world of coffee! Why  

not pour yourself another cuppa and practise some of the words, phrases, and expressions that we've  

learned today in the comment section below? Be sure to learn them, study them, practice them,  

and use them in real life where you can. Thanks for joining us today! Don't forget to like,  

subscribe, and hit that notification bell. You can check us out on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,  

or discover lots more English vocabulary, grammar,  pronunciation, and more at bbclearningenglish.com.  

You can find more vocabulary lessons like this on "at the restaurant" or "in the office." That's a  

wrap on our coffee lesson. Thanks for joining us! Stay caffeinated! See you next time. Bye!