Turkish coffee can be an occasion to sit and talk. Here you follow the drink from the pot to the cup, then describe the custom of interpreting the grounds. Some people enjoy a reading as entertainment; others do not take part.
The idea
Finely ground coffee is heated slowly with water in a cezve and served in a small fincan, often with a glass of water. Köpük is the foam on top; telve is the sediment left at the bottom. Specify sugar before preparation: sade means without sugar, orta şekerli moderately sweet, and şekerli sweet. For a coffee reading, the cup is turned upside down on its saucer, then the cooled grounds are interpreted. Fal bakmak means to tell someone’s fortune; fal baktırmak means to have your fortune told.
| Turkish | Meaning |
|---|---|
| cezve | coffee pot used for heating |
| fincan | small serving cup |
| köpük | foam on the surface |
| telve | coffee sediment |
| fal bakmak | to tell someone’s fortune |
| fal baktırmak | to have your fortune told |
Examples
- Kahveyi cezvede yavaşça pişiriyorum.I am slowly preparing the coffee in the coffee pot.
- Fincanın dibinde telve kalıyor.Coffee grounds remain at the bottom of the cup.
- Kahvenin yanında su getiriyoruz.We bring water with the coffee.
- Kahvemi sade içerim.I drink my coffee without sugar.
- Kahveyi içtikten sonra fincanı tabağa ters çeviriyoruz.After drinking the coffee, we turn the cup upside down onto the saucer.
- Telvedeki şekil bir kuşa benziyor.The shape in the coffee grounds looks like a bird.
- Ben fal bakıyorum, sen fal baktırıyorsun.I am telling fortunes; you are having your fortune told.
- Fal baktırmak istemiyorum, teşekkür ederim.I don’t want to have my fortune told, thank you.
Read-aloud uses a synthetic Turkish voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.
No Turkish device voice is available. You can still read the text.
Watch out
If you want someone else to interpret your cup, Fal bakmak istiyorum gives you the wrong role: it says you want to do the reading. Use Fal baktırmak istiyorum. Describing this custom does not mean that everyone believes in it, and a reading is not a fact about the future.
Try it yourself
Complete “We prepare the coffee in the ___.” Choose cezve (coffee pot) or fincan (cup) and add the location ending.
Show answer or example answer
cezvede
cezvede: the blank names where the coffee is heated, so the pot fits. A fincan is the serving cup; use the location form of cezve here.
“I don’t want sugar. Let my coffee be ___.” Supply an adjective meaning without sugar.
Show answer or example answer
sade / şekersiz
sade / şekersiz: the speaker excludes sugar. Neither answer asks for weak coffee; orta şekerli would still include sugar.
What is the coffee residue left at the bottom of the cup called? Answer in Turkish.
Show answer or example answer
telve
telve: the clue is the residue at the bottom after drinking. Köpük would name the foam on the surface instead.
I am not interpreting the fortune; I want someone to do it for me. Complete Fal ___ istiyorum with bakmak or baktırmak.
Show answer or example answer
baktırmak
baktırmak: someone else will interpret the speaker’s cup. Bakmak would make the speaker the person doing the reading.
Practice round
Answer questions, then rebuild Turkish sentences and words where available. We keep your score.
Complete “We prepare the coffee in the ___.” Choose cezve (coffee pot) or fincan (cup) and add the location ending.
“I don’t want sugar. Let my coffee be ___.” Supply an adjective meaning without sugar.
What is the coffee residue left at the bottom of the cup called? Answer in Turkish.
I am not interpreting the fortune; I want someone to do it for me. Complete Fal ___ istiyorum with bakmak or baktırmak.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Tap the words in the right order.
Keep your progress
Sign up for free to save your practice results in your account.
Sign up to saveI already have an accountUse it today
Write a short scene between two friends: specify sugar before making coffee, name what remains in the cup, and ask for a reading or politely decline. Make clear who interprets the shapes.