The cafe (καφέ) and the kiosk (περίπτερο) are two very important places in any Greek city.
Καφέ
The word καφέ has many meanings in Greek.
It can mean coffee, as in έναν καφέ, παρακαλώ.
Or, it can mean cafe, as in είμαστε στο καφέ.
It can even mean coffee-coloured (i.e. brown), as in η καφέ καρέκλα.
We’ve already seen how έναν καφέ comes from the Greek word for coffee, ο καφές. The final -ς is dropped when ‘coffee’ is the object of the sentence.
Both the noun καφέ (cafe) and the adjective καφέ (brown) are borrowed from the French word café which refers to both a coffee shop, and coffee-coloured.
You may also see the word καφενείο used to mean coffee shop. Generally, a καφενείο refers to a somewhat old-fashioned cafe, which, as we saw in the Μήπως έχετε… dialogue, sells a variety of food in addition to coffee. A καφέ, on the other hand, focuses more on drinks.
Watch this Easy Greek video on how to order έναν καφέ στο καφέ:
Note how έναν is used for all coffee orders, since coffee is considered masculine in Greek:
- Έναν καφέ, παρακαλώ.
- Έναν φρέντο, παρακαλώ.
- Έναν φραπέ, παρακαλώ.
- Έναν διπλό εσπρεσό, παρακαλώ.
- Έναν καπουτσίνο, παρακαλώ.
This is the simplest way of ordering, but you can also (as shown in the video) add either θέλω… (I want…) or θα ήθελα… (I would like…) at the beginning.
Can you find the types of coffee Dimitris mentions on the menu on page 10 of Λοιπόν, τι λες; (Well, what do you say?)?
BONUS: Making Greek Coffee
If you’re not familiar with the different options on offer, Easy Greek has another video which explains how different types of hot and cold Greek coffee are made:
Now, practice asking for a coffee using the example in exercise 1 on page 10. Make sure you know how to say exactly how you want your coffee. You can even take a break and make one yourself, following Giorgos and Konstantinos’ instructions!
Περίπτερο
Another common feature of Greek streets is the περίπτερο, which can be translated into English as a kiosk, newsstand, or even, a coffee stall!
Take a look at some of the typical things you can find at a περίπτερο shown in exercise 2 on page 11 of Λοιπόν, τι λες; (Well, what do you say?), then see how many of them you can pick up in this Easy Greek video:
If you have a conversation partner, try asking each other for various items using the example dialogue.
Otherwise, move on to exercise 3 on the same page, where you will fill in the gaps of two conversations – one στο καφέ, the other στο περίπτερο.
You’ve learned a lot of new vocabulary today. Don’t forget to memorise each new word along with its article so you can remember its gender.
Remember, masculine words typically end in -ς and take the articles ο and ένας (or έναν when used as a subject). Feminine words typically end in -η or -α (except μα), and take the articles η and μια. And neuter words typically end in -ι, -ο, or -μα, and take the articles το and ένα.
Page 51 of Ελληνικά Τώρα (Greek Now) 1+1 has some activities to test your knowledge of the gender of words.
See how many items in the exercise A list might be sold at a περίπτερο, and how many items in thee exercise B list you might find in a καφέ or καφενείο, then complete the rest of the exercises.
Finally, for a fun bit of revision, try the crossword on page 12 of Λοιπόν, τι λες; (Well, what do you say?) (exercise 4).
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