I LOVE coffee but the German coffee which is served in very small cups is much too strong for me. I'd like to ask the waiter for a "small portion of coffee in a larger cup" and a "pot of hot water" on the side so I can dilute the coffee. Many Germans do speak English and they understand my request, but often times the waiter has no idea what I'm talking about. <BR> <BR>Can you translate my request for me? I'll put it on an index card and show it to the waiter. Thanks!

Kathy, I can't speak German, but I have used the translator at Altavista.com to send faxes to a German hotel. I'm sure they've all had a great laugh at my "schrecklichen Deutschen" (which I'm pretty sure doesn't mean "poor German" - I think it means dreadful Germans! But it worked; I have a reservation (and every expectation that they won't kill me and bury me in the basement when I arrive for blugeoning the language so badly). Try it anyway. If nothing else, the waiter and you can have a good laugh together when you say you need to sit in a large pot of hot water to drink your coffee! Or you can try to cobble it together using a variety of phrases from a phrase book. That method has worked for me. Have fun - when and where are you going?

Kann ich weniger kaffee in eine grosser tasse als normal haben? <BR> <BR>Pronuniciation: <BR>Con ish veniger cofay in long i-na grossair tassa alz nomal haben?

And the second part would be: <BR> <BR>"... und bitte eine Kanne heisses Wasser dazu." <BR> <BR>Better would be a "small pot" = ein Kännchen. <BR>But that's more difficult to pronounce.

Pity there is no convenient way of ordering the kind of coffee Kathy likes. In Spain, if you order 'cafe americano', you get expresso coffee in a large cup, diluted by equal amount of hot water. You don't get any milk, however. You have to ask separately. I don't know why it's called americano, though I have my suspicions.

I love the stronger coffee in Austria, but I think you can order exactly what you are looking for if you ask for kaffee Verlängerter, which means "stretched" with hot water.

Hi Kathy! <BR>In all my years traveling through Germany I have never come across these 'very small cups' which you say the Germans serve coffee in. Maybe in a Turkish bar or an espresso bar you will find them, or in Austria, but not in regular cafes and restaurants in Germany. <BR> <BR>I think ordering 'ein Kännchen Kaffee(which holds around two and a half cups)und eine Kanne heißes Wasser dazu', as Ursula suggests, will do the trick. <BR> <BR>Viel Glück!

Danke guys, for the help. I've written the "translation" out on a card and will present it to the first German waiter that doesn't speak English. I just hope that he doesn't bring me "vinegar" (weniger???) to go along with my kaffe. <BR> <BR>I'm going over on September 11...returning on the 25. Should have another WONDERFUL time! Germany has won my heart...and continues to get my travel dollars.

Thanks Shanna.. Alta Vista brought up Prompt as a translator. I submitted my phrase and it responded, "kleiner koffee in groBer schale und topf des heiBen wassers fur verdunned." (Realize that the capital B's are the funny double letter things) Sounds good to me! <BR> <BR>Hey Harzer... just wanted to let you know that I spent 10 days in various Germany cities (Nuremburg, Regensburg, Rothenburg, Munich, etc.) and ate at various cafes, gasthaus, hotels, etc and they all served their very potent kaffee in small cups (perhaps 4 ounces) <BR>That's what prompted my asking the question!