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German word of the day: Der Blümchenkaffee

Kathrin Thams
Kathrin Thams - [email protected]
German word of the day: Der Blümchenkaffee
Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash/Nicolas Raymond

Everyone loves a cup of good strong coffee. This German word describes the kind that we don't like.

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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.

Instant coffee

Blümchenkaffee can also refer to instant coffee - that kind which is so watery you can see the powder floating towards the top. Photo: picture alliance / Lino Mirgeler/dpa | Lino Mirgeler

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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”.

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