コーヒー

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 朝はコーヒーを飲みます。▶ —
   I drink coffee in the morning.
2. コーヒー一杯ください。▶ —
   One coffee, please.

Collocations

Mnemonic

コーヒー koohii — borrowed from Dutch koffie via pre-Meiji Nagasaki trade. Kanji 珈琲 (kahi) is an 当て字 (ateji, phonetic kanji approximation) coined in the Meiji era — a rare survival from many such loanword-to-kanji experiments. Japan's 喫茶店 (kissaten) culture began in 1888 with Tokyo's 「可否茶館」; the postwar era produced famed roasters. Trap: 缶 (kan) コーヒー (canned coffee) was a 1969 UCC invention in Japan, fused with vending-machine culture into a global category. One drink word compresses colonial-era loan, Meiji kanji experiments, and postwar F&B industry.

Quick check

1. What does 缶コーヒー reveal about Japanese beverage culture?

   • Japanese-invented vending-machine convenience category (UCC 1969)
   • Pure Western tradition
   • Cheap substitute
   • Child-targeted