珍珠奶茶
zan¹ zyu¹ naai⁵ ca⁴
The English phrase "bubble tea" is 珍珠奶茶 (zan¹ zyu¹ naai⁵ ca⁴) in Cantonese.
珍珠奶茶 specifically refers to milk tea with tapioca balls. However, it is often used as a generic term for the entire category of pearl-based drinks in a shop.
Meaning: milk tea with tapioca balls (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of 珍珠 (pearl), 奶 (milk) and 茶 (tea).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Hong Kong, 珍珠奶茶 is used and literally means "pearl milk tea". Another term, 波霸奶茶, is commonly used in Hong Kong to describe bubble tea that contains larger tapioca pearls.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is zan¹ zyu¹ naai⁵ ca⁴.
Did you know?
- The term 波霸 in 波霸奶茶 is a slang term for 'busty' or 'large-breasted' women, which is why it is used to describe the extra-large size of the pearls.
- In Hong Kong, you can order 奶茶 (milk tea) without pearls, but the local 'silk stocking milk tea' is a distinct cultural icon that uses evaporated milk and is much stronger than the tea found in bubble tea shops.
- Customs in Hong Kong tea shops often involve a 'sugar level' and 'ice level' scale, where 少甜 ('less sweet') is a standard request to avoid the extreme sweetness of traditional recipes.
Examples in context
- 喺2022年2月11號嘅下晝，我喺坐滿企喺度嘅學生嘅咖啡廳飲咗黑冰茶。有菲律賓人坐喺兩張唔同嘅枱度。一個着住灰色嘅紅髮鬍鬚男人叫咗杯咖啡。 有個大隻嘅西班牙裔人入嚟用洗手間。後來，我係附近一間全新嘅珍珠奶茶店嘅第一個客人，我喺嗰度叫咗芋頭燕麥奶凍茶同一個藍莓芝士多拉燒。In the afternoon of the 11th of February of 2022, I drank black iced tea at the cafe, which was full of standing students. There were Filipinas at two different tables. A stocky redheaded bearded man in grey ordered coffee. A big-bodied Hispanic entered to use the washroom. Later, I was the first customer at a brand-new bubble tea shop nearby, where I ordered taro oat milk iced tea and a blueberry cheese dorayaki.This sentence is useful for seeing 珍珠奶茶 used in the context of a brand-new shop.Tatoeba #13169590 by Davidgo5867, translation #10669699 by nonong
- 今日係我嘅51歲生日，即係2017年1月12號，我帶住我部 Apple iPad mini 喺里士滿公共市場，因為我用緊免費嘅「客人」網絡。中庭用紅色燈籠裝飾咗嚟緊嘅農曆新年。我喺華船長度食過一碟麵，有炸豆腐、白光魚，同埋紅紅嘅肥豬皮同肉。我飲咗杯花生奶茶嘅凍酸青蘋果綠珍珠茶。後來，我有杯 QQ 珍珠奶茶咖啡嘅凍薄荷綠茶。然後又係由嗰度，我飲咗杯凍嘅冬瓜茶。It is my 51st birthday today, on the 12th of January of 2017, and I am at the Richmond Public Market with my Apple iPad mini, as I use the free "guest" network. The atrium is decorated with red lanterns for the coming Chinese New Year. I have eaten from Captain Wa a dish of noodles with fried tofu, white glossy fish, and reddish fatty pork skins and meat. I have sipped a glass of cold Sour Green Apple Green Pearl Tea from Peanut's Bubble Tea. Later, I have a cold Mint Green Tea from QQ Bubble Tea and Coffee. Then from there again, I have a cold Winter Melon Tea. From Peanut's, I then have a cold Lychee Green Pearl Tea. I sit, as I wait for my doctor's appointment.This sentence shows how 珍珠奶茶 is used when mentioning various bubble tea products.Tatoeba #13110613 by Davidgo5867, translation #10692763 by nonong
- 1 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Ka Yan and Tsz Kin are walking at a shopping mall.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan我想飲珍珠奶茶，行去嗰邊睇下。ngo5 soeng2 jam2 zan1 zyu1 naai4 caa4, haang4 heoi3 go2 bin1 tai2 haa5.I want to drink bubble tea, let's go over there and see.
- 子健 Tsz Kin好啊，我都好想飲珍珠奶茶。hou2 aa3, ngo5 dou1 hou2 soeng2 jam2 zan1 zyu1 naai4 caa4.Sure, I really want to drink bubble tea too.
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan你想要少糖定係正常糖？nei5 joeng3 jiu3 siu2 tong4 ding6 si6 zing3 soeng4 tong4?Do you want less sugar or normal sugar?
- 子健 Tsz Kin我想少糖，唔該。ngo5 soeng2 siu2 tong4, m4 goi1.I want less sugar, please.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “bubble tea” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
