咖

gā, kā
加 + 口

Definitions

kā (noun) coffee

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 口 represents the meaning and 加 represents the sound.

Semantic: 口 Phonetic: 加

About

咖 is a modern phono-semantic compound that combines the mouth radical 口 (semantic) with 加 (phonetic). The mouth radical signals that the character is used for transcribing foreign sounds, colloquialisms, or loanwords rather than conveying an intrinsic meaning. It was coined precisely for transliteration, and today it appears almost exclusively in the word 咖啡 (coffee), where it captures the first syllable of the beverage's name, borrowed through trade and cultural exchange.

Example Sentences Hide

我喜欢喝咖啡。

Wǒ xǐhuān hē kāfēi.

I like to drink coffee.

咖啡的味道很香。

Kāfēi de wèidào hěn xiāng.

The smell of coffee is very fragrant.

咖喱饭很好吃。

Gālí fàn hěn hǎochī.

Curry rice is delicious.

我买了咖啡和咖喱。

Wǒ mǎi le kāfēi hé gālí.

I bought coffee and curry.

他的咖位在上升。

Tā de kā wèi zài shàngshēng.

His celebrity status is rising.

早上喝咖啡可以提神。

Zǎoshang hē kāfēi kěyǐ tíshén.

Drinking coffee in the morning can refresh you.

这种咖啡豆来自巴西。

Zhè zhǒng kāfēi dòu láizì Bāxī.

This kind of coffee bean comes from Brazil.

如果你不喜欢咖喱，可以试试别的。

Rúguǒ nǐ bù xǐhuān gālí, kěyǐ shìshì biéde.

If you don't like curry, you can try something else.

Related Characters

Component: 加

架 驾 贺 嘉 迦 伽 茄 枷 袈 痂 珈 跏 笳 哿

Component: 口

中 和 可 后 如 同 只 知 高 问 向 或 加 合

Example Words

咖啡 咖啡店 咖啡厅 冰咖啡 咖哩 咖啡因 咖啡壶 咖啡室 咖啡屋 咖啡师 咖啡机 咖啡色 咖啡豆 咖啡馆 咖喱 咖喱粉 大咖 怪咖 摩卡咖啡 玩咖 网咖