qunnoq:
I didn't notice it. So, to say in klingon "I drink two cups of coffee" gives the impression that someone is drinking the cups and not the coffee ?
ghunchu'wI':
I don't know of an example that tells us how to quantify coffee. It could be the way you said it, {cha' qa'vIn HIvje'} "two coffee's glasses." Or it could be the other way around, {cha' HIvje' qa'vIn} "two glasses' coffee". Or it might be {qa'vIn cha' HIvje'} "two glasses of coffee".
qa'vIn (cha' HIvje') vItlhutlh. I drank coffee (two cups/mugs). Precise, but awkward.
Or it could be that {HIvje'} is only the container and doesn't make sense as a measurement in Klingon. It's hard to find an English example that carries that feeling -- maybe "three wrappers of candy".
(KGT 98f): Since certain drinks are typically associated with certain containers, saying the type of drink plus {HIvje'} indicates the type of cup or glass as well ... {qa'vIn HIvje'} ("coffee mug") If you're drinking tea there is {Dargh HIvje'} - or the older/upper-class word {tu'lum} "teacup" - which may be a standard size (who knows with Klingons?): (KGT 96): Tea may be made either in a teapot (runpI') or directly in the teacup (Dargh HIvje', or, if not a cup specifically designed for drinking tea, just HIvje')." We also have the measurement verb {muq} "have a volume of": qa'vIn vItlhutlh; cha (qa'vIn) HIvje' muq 'oH. I drank coffee; it had a volume of two (coffee) mugs. cha HIvje' muqbogh (qa'vIn) qa'vIn'e' vItlhutlh. I drank coffee having a volume of two (coffee) mugs.
Perhaps to indicate an amount of drink one must talk of {tlho'ren} instead, though the correct order of words is still uncertain.
(st.k 10/22/1997): The only unit of volume I'm aware of is {tlho'ren}. I'm not exactly sure how much one {tlho'ren} is, but it seems to be in the quart/liter range. qa'vIn vItlhutlh; bID tlho'ren muq 'oH. I drank a half {tlho'ren} of coffee. "I drank coffee; it had a volume of half a {tlho'ren}." bID tlho'ren muqbogh qa'vIn'e' vItlhutlh. I drank a half {tlho'ren} of coffee. "I drank coffee having a volume of half a {tlho'ren}." Which is a lot of coffee... but who talks that way? Well, maybe a Klingon-speaking Vulcan. <g> -- Voragh