HOW TO ORDER COFFEE IN UKRAINE? – A ROLEPLAY ADVENTURE
Welcome to Ukraine – the land of sunflowers, soulful songs, and surprisingly strong coffee. If you're learning Ukrainian, ordering coffee is the perfect way to test your skills (and stay awake). Let’s dive into a fun roleplay to help you survive your first Ukrainian café experience – with a few cultural secrets along the way.
Characters:
•You – the brave foreigner, eager for caffeine and language practice.
•Бариста (barysta) – the Ukrainian barista with the sharp hearing of a bat and the patience of a saint.
Scene: Small hipster café in Lviv
You walk in. It smells like fresh ground beans and philosophical conversations. The barista smiles.
Бариста: Добрий день! Що будете?
(Dobryi den! Shcho budete? – Good afternoon! What will you have?)
You (confidently): Одну каву, будь ласка.
(Odnu kavu, bud’ laska. – One coffee, please.)
Бариста: А яку саме?
(A yaku same? – What kind exactly?)
You: Е-е-е... американо?
(E-e-e... amerykano? – Uhh... Americano?)
Бариста: З молоком чи без?
(Z molokom chy bez? – With milk or without?)
You: Без молока, дякую! І з собою.
(Bez moloka, diakuiu! I z soboiu. – Without milk, thank you! And to go.)
Бариста (impressed): Добре! 40 гривень.(Dobre! 40 hryven. – Good! 40 hryvnias.)
You pay. You survive. You caffeinate. Victory!
Coffee culture in Ukraine
Ukrainians really love coffee – and not just for the caffeine. It's a ritual, a social experience, and sometimes even an art form.
•☕Popular choices:
•Еспресо (espreso) – small but mighty
•Американо (amerykano) – diluted espresso, often the most popular everyday choice
•Капучино (kapuchyno) – with frothy milk, often enjoyed with dessert
•Лате (late) – beloved by students and bloggers alike
•Кава по-східному (kava po-skhidnomu) – Turkish-style, brewed in a cezve over sand or flame, often served with cardamom or sugar
•How often do Ukrainians drink coffee?
Every day. Several times.At home, in the office, while walking, or sitting on a park bench. Coffee breaks are sacred. In Lviv and Kyiv, you might even spot locals drinking coffee at midnight – because why not?
•Traditions:
•Meeting for coffee is a default form of socializing: "Ходімо на каву?" (Let’s go for coffee?) is basically the Ukrainian version of "Netflix and chill."
•Ukrainian cafés are cozy, often full of books, cats, jazz music, or philosophy quotes on the wall. It's a vibe.
Vocabulary (Словничок)
Coffee Quiz
1. What does “з молоком” mean?
a) without coffee
b) with milk
c) strong
d) espresso with sugar
2. What would you say if you want coffee to go?
a) без молока
b) з собою
c) одну каву
d) на дорогу, будь ласка
3. What’s the Ukrainian word for “espresso”?
a) експресія
b) еспресо
c) ересо
d) капучино
4. What might happen if you ask for “корова” instead of “кава”?
a) You’ll get free milk
b) They’ll bring you a cow
c) You’ll make the barista laugh
d) All of the above
Answers:
1 – b
2 – b
3 – b
4 – d 😄