ティー
tī
The English word 'tea' is translated into Japanese as ティー (tī).
ティー is used to refer to a beverage made by steeping dried leaves in hot water.
How do you pronounce it?
tī
Did you know?
- The word ティー is a loanword, but the traditional Japanese word for tea, 茶 (cha), is actually a direct relative of the word 'tea' found in many European languages, all tracing back to the Chinese word 'cha'.
- In traditional Japanese tea ceremonies, the focus is on 茶道 (sadō), which translates to 'the way of tea'.
- While ティー refers to Western-style-tea, Japanese speakers use the word お茶 (ocha) for almost any tea-based drink, including traditional green tea.
Examples in context
- ミルクティーは好きですか？miruku tī wa suki desu ka?Do you like milk tea?
- アイスティーをください。aisu tī o kudasai.Please give me iced tea.
Example conversation
At a cafe.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣、何を飲みますか？Yui, nani o nomimasu ka?Yui, what will you drink?
- 結衣 Yui私はアイスティーにします。Watashi wa aisutī ni shimasu.I'll have an iced tea.
- 大翔 Hirotoいいですね。僕もティーにします。Ii desu ne. Boku mo tī ni shimasu.That sounds good. I'll have tea too.
- 結衣 Yuiじゃあ、一緒に注文しましょう。Jaa, issho ni chūmon shimashō.Then, let's order together.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ティー, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ティー, CC BY-SA 4.0.
