tasse de thé
/tas də te/
The English phrase 'cup of tea' is translated into French as tasse de thé.
The phrase tasse de thé refers to a serving of tea in a cup. Like the English idiom, it can also be used figuratively to describe something that is or is not to one's liking, as seen in the expression Ce n'est pas ma tasse de thé (This is not my cup of tea).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of tasse (cup), de (of) and thé (tea).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Quebec, the informal expression un ti-thé is used to refer to a cup of tea.
How does it change in a sentence?
The noun tasse is feminine, which is why the indefinite article une is used in the phrase une tasse de thé.
Did you know?
- While tasse de thé is common, you might encounter the word infusion on French menus. This is used for herbal teas, as thé technically refers only to drinks made from the actual tea plant.
- The French word 'thé' and the word 'chai' used in many other languages are actually 'siblings'. They both descend from the same Chinese root, but they arrived in Europe via different trade routes.
- While 'tasse de thé' is the standard translation, the word 'tasse' itself is a linguistic traveler. It originated from the Arabic word 'ṭās', which actually meant a basin or a bowl rather than a small cup.
Examples in context
- Tu veux une tasse de thé ?Can I get you a cup of tea?The first example is useful for offering someone a tasse de thé.Tatoeba #7960162 by Micsmithel, translation #4013105 by CK
- Tu veux une tasse de thé ?Want a cup of tea?The second example is a more casual way to offer someone a tasse de thé.Tatoeba #10707977 by AutoBot, translation #10707969 by carlosalberto
- Ce n'est pas ma tasse de thé.This is not my cup of tea.The third example demonstrates the idiomatic use of tasse de thé to express a lack of preference.Tatoeba #3926741 by Scorpionvenin14, translation #3836066 by Hybrid
- Madame, pourrais-je avoir une tasse de thé ?Madame, could I have a cup of tea?
- Tu m'en sers un p'tit thé ?Will you pour me a little tea?
- J'ai besoin d'un thé, s'il te plaît.I need a tea, please.
- 86 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are relaxing in the living room.
- EmmaJe vais me préparer une tasse de thé.I am going to make myself a cup of tea.
- GabrielEst-ce que je peux en avoir une aussi ?Can I have one too?
- EmmaBien sûr, je t'apporte ta tasse de thé.Of course, I'll bring you your cup of tea.
- GabrielMerci beaucoup, Emma !Thank you very much, Emma!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry tasse de thé, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, tasse, thé, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
