What does it mean?
“Blümchenkaffee” (Flower coffee) refers to very weak, mildly brewed coffee. It is named after watery coffee that is almost transparent, so that the flower print on the bottom of a porcelain mug becomes visible.
It also refers to instant coffee which similarly has a watery taste.
How is it used?
This common phrase is used humorously to point out that the coffee that someone brewed is bland and useless because it is basically water and does not serve the purpose as coffee to wake you up.
“Blümchenkaffee” is listed in the German dictionary Duden but is still considered a colloquial term. It's particularly popular in Saxony but can be heard all around Germany, the land of Kaffee und Kuchen, where a strong cup of coffee and a Süßigkeit (sweet) form a beloved mid-day ritual, especially on a Sunday.
READ ALSO: The best words in Germany's regional dialects
Two synonyms for thin coffee are “Plörre” (dishwater) which also refers to a watery drink, usually coffee, and “Bodensee Kaffee” which defines coffee through which you can see the bottom of the lake.
Examples
“Ich bin so froh, dass deine Mama keinen Blümchenkaffee gemacht hat. Sonst würde ich direkt wieder einschlafen.”
“I am so glad that your mom did not make thin coffee. Otherwise I would directly fall asleep again.”
“Blümchenkaffee lohnt sich echt nicht.”
“Thin coffee is really not worth it.”
“Diese Plörre trinke ich nicht.”
“I will not drink this watery coffee.”
“Du musst mehr Kaffeepulver in den Filter reinmachen. Sonst wird das Bodensee Kaffee.”
“You need to put more ground coffee in the filter. Otherwise it will turn into transparent coffee”.
Don't miss any of our German words and expressions of the day by downloading our new app (available on Apple and Android) and then selecting the German Word of the Day in your Notification options via the User button.
Comments