# coffees



## SHAKI15

¿No se le puede poner s a coffee? *P*orque es incontable ¿No?


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## Jaime Bien

Si te refieres a tazas de café, entonces no es incontable: Waiter, three coffees, please.


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## blasita

SHAKI15 said:


> ¿No se le puede poner s a coffee? porque es icontable ¿No?



Sí, "coffee" es incontable, pero sí que se puede decir (también se puede usar como contable) ej. "I´d like _a_ black coffee, please" (a cup of coffee without milk), y ej. "two cups of coffee=two coffees".

Saludos.

Edito: Coincido con Jaime. Mandado exactamente al mismo tiempo.


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## SHAKI15

*E*ntonces yo digo taza de café es contable y si digo café solo no es contable.


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## blasita

SHAKI15 said:


> entonces yo digo taza de café es contable y si digo café solo no es contable



En español, tú puedes decir "Un café", ¿no es así? Pues en inglés, puedes también decir "A coffee" (te refieres a "a cup of", aunque no es necesario que lo digas expresamente; se sobreentiende porque usas el artículo indefinido "a" o un número "two, three ...").

"If I drink too much coffee, I can't sleep."  Aquí es incontable ("Si tomo mucho café, (luego) no puedo dormir.")

Espero que te ayude.  Un saludo.


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## ribran

blasita said:


> En español, tú puedes decir "Un café", ¿no es así? Pues en inglés, puedes también decir "A coffee" (te refieres a "a cup of", aunque no es necesario que lo digas expresamente; se sobreentiende porque usas el artículo indefinido "a" o un número "two, three ...").
> 
> "If I drink too much coffee, I can't sleep."  Aquí es incontable ("Si tomo mucho café, (luego) no puedo dormir.")
> 
> Espero que te ayude.  Un saludo.



I would say that it is still fairly uncommon in the United States to say "a coffee," which has only recently made its way across the Atlantic Ocean.

I think most Americans would say, "Would you like some coffee?" or, "Would you like a cup of coffee?"


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## blasita

ribran said:


> I would say that it is still fairly uncommon in the United States to say "a coffee," which has only recently made its way across the Atlantic Ocean.
> 
> I think most Americans would say, "Would you like some coffee?" or, "Would you like a cup of coffee?"



Thanks, Ribran, then you´re saying that you wouldn´t say in AmE e.g. "Can I have a coffee, please?" but only "Can I have a cup of coffee, please?"

Un saludo.


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## pubman

ribran said:


> I would say that it is still fairly uncommon in the United States to say "a coffee," which has only recently made its way across the Atlantic Ocean.
> 
> I think most Americans would say, "Would you like some coffee?" or, "Would you like a cup of coffee?"


 
Hi ribran, how would Americans generally ask for coffee when referring to a cup of?

I want/would like (a) coffee


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## ribran

Hi blasita and pubman,

_I would like some coffee._ 
_I would like a cup of coffee._ 
_I would like a coffee._ Still fairly rare, but gaining in popularity


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## blasita

ribran said:


> Hi blasita and pubman,
> 
> _I would like some coffee._
> _I would like a cup of coffee._
> _I would like a coffee._ Still fairly rare, but gaining in popularity



Gracias otra vez, Ribran.  Bueno, espero que al menos en BrE se diga todavía "a coffee" (como yo lo recuerdo) .... Si no es así, retiro lo dicho.


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## pubman

ribran said:


> Hi blasita and pubman,
> 
> _I would like some coffee._
> _I would like a cup of coffee._
> _I would like a coffee._ Still fairly rare, but gaining in popularity


 

Would you say this is a rare example of the US importing BrE in modern usage?


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## ribran

pubman said:


> Would you say this is a rare example of the US importing BrE in modern usage?



Definitely. Believe it or not, I can think of several examples of this phenomenon. I have actually noticed people using the very British, "Call me *on* (phone number)." Most Americans would say, "Call me *at* (phone number)."


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## Masood

ribran said:


> Hi blasita and pubman,
> 
> _I would like some coffee._
> _I would like a cup of coffee._
> _I would like a coffee._ Still fairly rare, but gaining in popularity


Interesting. Intuitively, this seems overly formal. I don't think I would say it.
In a coffee shop, I'd typically say "Can I have a capuccino (or whatever), please?".

I thought in AmE they would typically say "Can I _get _a...?".


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## blasita

A ver, entonces en resumen (para Shaki y otros muchos), "a coffee" no es incorrecto, pero no se dice apenas (ni en BrE ni en AmE), ¿cierto?

Gracias.


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## ribran

Masood said:


> I thought in AmE they would typically say "Can I _get _a...?".



People certainly say that, but I would say that to most Texans and Southerners, it comes across as overly direct.


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## pubman

ribran said:


> Definitely. Believe it or not, I can think of several examples of this phenomenon. I have actually noticed people using the very British, "Call me *on* (phone number)." Most Americans would say, "Call me *at* (phone number)."


 

Quite right too


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## Masood

blasita said:


> A ver, entonces en resumen (para Shaki y otros muchos), "a coffee" no es incorrecto, pero no se dice apenas (ni en BrE ni en AmE), ¿cierto?
> 
> Gracias.


De acuerdo. "a coffee" me suena natural en inglés británico.


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## blasita

Masood said:


> De acuerdo. "a coffee" me suena natural en inglés británico.



Gracias, Masood. Bueno, pues entonces podemos afirmar que es correcto, y que se usa en algunas partes más que en otras.

Un saludo a todos.


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## Masood

blasita said:


> y que se usa en algunas partes más que en otras.


Sí. Se usa más en cafeterías que en mueblerías, por ejemplo.


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## blasita

Masood said:


> Sí. Se usa más en cafeterías que en mueblerías, por ejemplo.



Hay que ver lo que se ríen de la pobre blasita.  Una que solo intenta ayudar y aclarar las cosas.

Saludos.


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## pubman

Masood is being a meany

"A coffee" is said all over the country by everyone.

Wherever coffee is sold people will ask for "a coffee"

Ps Masood, you can get coffee in IKEA


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## choaddy

Hi everyone,

How about saying "a great variety of coffees" refering to types of coffee? Or should I just say "a great variety of coffee"?

Thanks dudes!


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## chacahua

pubman said:


> Masood is being a meany
> 
> "A coffee" is said all over the country by everyone.
> 
> Wherever coffee is sold people will ask for "a coffee"
> 
> Ps Masood, you can get coffee in IKEA



I agree completely - especially with the part about giving blasita a hard time. What's up with _that_, Masood? (Just joking, as I know you were, also!) I realize that pubman is probably talking about things in the UK, but I don't perceive as anything "British" something like the following:
-What are you going to order, María?
-I'm just gonna have a coffee.
*or*
-You guys wanna swing through Starbucks and grab a coffee?​
There _are _cases when here in the States it is more common to say 'a cup of coffee' or 'some coffee,' for example:

-Would you care for a cup of/some coffee?
-Man, am I wired! I think those 4 cups of coffee were about 3 cups too many!​
So it's true that we often use 'a cup of' and 'some,' but if the acceptance of 'a coffee' is something recent (lo ignoro), at least in my circles it sounds perfectly natural and not at all "borrowed." Personally I use it all the time (for whatever tiny bit that may be worth! )


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## chacahua

choaddy said:


> How about saying "a great variety of coffees" refering to types of coffee? Or should I just say "a great variety of coffee"?



If you're going to be buying coffee beans to take home, as opposed to buying a cup of coffee to drink right there, then I say that the proper way is 'coffees,' although you would be understood either way, and there may even be some who would dismiss it as sounding somewhat pretentious. But it's just like the rule with fish vs. fishes: 'fishes' is used to refer to more than one _species_ of fish, and 'coffees' is analogous to this, in my personal (and humble!) opinion. Also, I would probably say "...a great variety of different kinds of coffee." 

*HOWEVER...
*
You would say "...many different types of coffee," not 'types of coffees.'
And if you're going to be buying a cup of coffee to drink right there, then something more like "...a large selection of coffee flavors," or, more colloquially, "...loads of different coffees to choose from." 

And if you understand any of this, that makes one of us!

Seriously, I can't make sense of it; it's just what sounds right to my particular set of ears. Others may legitimately see it differently.


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## choaddy

I enormously appreciate your taking time to answer. It's of great help on your behalf.
Thanks!


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## Jim2996

Choaddy, 
So you think that we are dudes? I haven't heard that in a long time. Don't get me wrong; I like the word and I occasionally use it, but it's leftover from my teenage years. It was once quite popular, now, not so much. 

 Personally, I would say "many different coffees" where the "many" makes it obviously countable.  "Variety" is also a good word to use; then I would say "a great variety of coffees." 

I notice that Keurig says "over 200 varieties of coffee, tea, ..."  http://www.keurig.com/shop/k-cups/all-k-cups.
They put the countable-ness in "varieties"; I put it in "coffees." 

I think you need some word countable if you want to stress that you are counting. 

Oh, dude, how easy it is to over-think this.


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## chacahua

choaddy said:


> I enormously *really/very much *appreciate your taking time to answer. It's of great help on your behalf. *You've been very helpful*. (or something like that - not real sure what you're trying to say in Spanish.)


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## inib

> *You've been very helpful*. (or something like that - not real sure what you're trying to say in Spanish.)


I think choaddy meant: _That/it was very helpful of you.
_(Sorry if this is off topic).


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## choaddy

Natives don't get it when one speaks correctly.


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