How to Order Coffee in Arabic: A Complete Phrase Guide
You do not need Arabic to order coffee in Saudi Arabia. Most specialty cafés in Riyadh and Jeddah have English-speaking staff and English menus. But knowing the words changes something. It slows the interaction down in a good way. The barista notices. You get a better read on what is actually being served.
This guide covers the phrases you will actually use — from ordering at a café counter to asking about brewing methods and talking about taste.
Basic café ordering
Ureed qahwa, min fadlak. — I would like a coffee, please.
أريد قهوة، من فضلك.
Wahid isbreeso, min fadlak. — One espresso, please.
واحد إسبريسو، من فضلك.
Wahid qahwa Arabiyya, min fadlak. — One Arabic coffee (qahwa), please.
واحد قهوة عربية، من فضلك.
Bidoon sukkar. — Without sugar.
بدون سكر.
Sukkar qaleel. — A little sugar.
سكر قليل.
Ma habb al-bun? — What is the coffee bean (origin)?
ما حب البن؟
Specialty coffee vocabulary
In specialty cafés, staff often use the English terms anyway — Aeropress, pour over, V60 — but knowing the Arabic context helps when you are in a traditional or less touristy setting.
Al-qahwa al-mutakhassisa — Specialty coffee
القهوة المتخصصة
Al-tahmees al-fatieh — Light roast
التحميص الفاتح
Al-tahmees al-ghameq — Dark roast
التحميص الغامق
Al-asl al-fardi — Single origin
الأصل الفردي
Muhass bi bard — Cold brew
محضر بالبرد
Talking about taste
These phrases are useful when you want to describe what you taste or ask about a coffee profile:
Taama humoodat. — It tastes acidic (bright).
طعمه حموضة.
Taama helw. — It tastes sweet.
طعمه حلو.
Taama murr. — It tastes bitter.
طعمه مر.
Ma taamu? — What does it taste like?
ما طعمه؟
Qahwa-specific phrases
Arabic coffee (qahwa) has its own culture around how you receive and return the cup. These matter:
Dazzem. — Thank you (when declining a refill of qahwa — you shake the cup slightly while saying this).
دزم.
Zidni, min fadlak. — More, please (asking for a refill).
زدني، من فضلك.
The dallah is always refilled by the host until you signal you are done. This is hospitality protocol, not an aggressive upsell.
For more on qahwa culture and how to brew it, read our guide to Arabic coffee and the dallah. For context on Saudi coffee culture, see the Vision 2030 and specialty coffee article.
No. Most specialty cafés in Riyadh and Jeddah have English-speaking staff. But knowing a few Arabic phrases improves the experience and earns you respect from staff.
Qahwa (قهوة) is the standard Arabic word for coffee. In Gulf dialect, you may also hear gahwa. In the context of traditional Saudi coffee, qahwa refers specifically to the spiced, lightly roasted Arabic coffee.
Dazzem is said when you gently shake the small cup (finjaan) to signal you do not want a refill of qahwa. Without this signal, the host will keep refilling your cup as an act of hospitality.
Say ‘bidoon sukkar’ for no sugar, or ‘sukkar qaleel’ for a small amount. For qahwa, it is typically served without added sugar — the sweetness comes from dates served alongside.
You do not need perfect Arabic. You need two or three phrases delivered with confidence. That is enough to change how the interaction goes.