Meaning
Describing a warm drink.
Cultural Background
Coffee is the fuel of 'hygge'. It is almost mandatory to offer it to any visitor, regardless of the time of day. While similar to the Danish 'hygge', the Swedes have 'Fika', which is a more structured coffee break often involving pastries. In the US, coffee is often a functional, 'to-go' item. In Denmark, 'en varm kop kaffe' usually implies sitting down. Italians drink espresso quickly at a bar. A 'warm cup of coffee' in Denmark is usually a larger, filtered coffee meant to last longer.
The 'Of' Rule
Never say 'kop af kaffe'. It's a dead giveaway that you're translating from English.
Refills
In Denmark, if someone offers 'en varm kop kaffe', they will almost certainly offer a second one ('en kop til').
Meaning
Describing a warm drink.
The 'Of' Rule
Never say 'kop af kaffe'. It's a dead giveaway that you're translating from English.
Refills
In Denmark, if someone offers 'en varm kop kaffe', they will almost certainly offer a second one ('en kop til').
Temperature
Danes like their coffee very hot. 'Varm' is the polite word, but it usually means 'steaming'.
Test Yourself
Fill in the missing article and adjective form.
Det er ___ ___ kop kaffe.
'Kop' is an 'en' word, so we use 'en' and the base form 'varm'.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
How do you say 'It is a warm cup of coffee'?
Danish omits 'af' in this context.
Complete the dialogue.
Vært: Værsgo! Gæst: Tak! ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.
The guest is identifying the nice drink they just received.
Match the Danish phrase to its English meaning.
Match the following:
Direct translation practice.
🎉 Score: /4
Visual Learning Aids
Practice Bank
4 exercisesDet er ___ ___ kop kaffe.
'Kop' is an 'en' word, so we use 'en' and the base form 'varm'.
How do you say 'It is a warm cup of coffee'?
Danish omits 'af' in this context.
Vært: Værsgo! Gæst: Tak! ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___.
The guest is identifying the nice drink they just received.
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Direct translation practice.
🎉 Score: /4
Frequently Asked Questions
10 questionsYes, 'hed' means 'very hot', but 'varm' is more common and polite.
'Kop' is a common gender noun. Most containers in Danish are 'en' words.
'Krus' is a mug. 'Kop' is a cup. For coffee, 'kop' is the more traditional term.
You can just say 'varm kaffe', but 'en varm kop kaffe' sounds more complete and inviting.
Det er en kold kop kaffe.
Yes, it is identical in Norwegian (Bokmål).
Yes, that is a common shorthand in cafes.
Say 'en varm kop kaffe med mælk'.
It is neutral. You can use it with your boss or your grandmother.
Yes, it becomes 'varme' (e.g., to varme kopper kaffe).
Related Phrases
En kop te
similarA cup of tea
Sort kaffe
specialized formBlack coffee
Kaffepause
builds onCoffee break
At hygge sig
similarTo have a cozy time
En kold drik
contrastA cold drink
