Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 茶 | chá |
| 茶水 | cháshuǐ |
茶 is the general term for the drink made from the leaves of the tea plant. You can combine it with other words to specify the type of tea, such as 绿茶 (green tea), 红茶 (black tea), 乌龙茶 (oolong tea) or 茉莉花茶 (jasmine tea). To express the action of drinking tea, use the phrase 喝茶. Additionally, cháyì refers specifically to the art of making tea.
Which one should you use?
While 茶 refers to the substance or the concept of tea, the form 茶水 is used more colloquially to refer specifically to the liquid of the tea, particularly when discussing the act of serving or drinking the liquid itself.
How do you pronounce it?
chá
When do people say it?
Tea culture involves specific gestures of respect. When offering tea to someone, it is customary to hold the teacup with both hands. Furthermore, pouring tea for others before yourself is regarded as a gesture of hospitality.
Did you know?
- If you are in a tea house, you might see people using a finger tapping the table to say 'thank you' instead of speaking.
- Some historians believe the word 茶 may have been borrowed from Proto-Loloish *la¹, the language of the Yi people in Sichuan.
- The Chinese word for 'black tea' is 红茶, which literally translates to 'red tea'.
Examples in context
- 咖啡還是茶？Coffee or tea?This sentence is useful for offering a choice between coffee and tea using 茶.Tatoeba #2347106 by egg0073, translation #1080170 by shekitten
- 你喝绿茶吗？Do you drink green tea?This sentence is useful for asking about the consumption of green tea using 茶.Tatoeba #2782917 by GlossaMatik, translation #1768241 by CM
- 我经常喝茶。I often drink tea.This sentence is useful for describing a frequent habit of drinking 茶.Tatoeba #3378025 by GlossaMatik, translation #3378026 by CM
- 今天早上，我喝了一杯茶。(jīntiān zǎoshang, wǒ hē le yī bēi chá)This morning, I drank a cup of tea.
- 我鍾意飲杯綠茶。(ngo5 zung1 ji3 jam2 bui1 luk6 caa4)I enjoy drinking a cup of green tea.
- 你们想喝点什么？茶还是咖啡？(nǐmen xiǎng hē diǎn shénme? chá háishì kāfēi?)What would you like to drink? Tea or coffee?
- 这里有没有陈酿茶？(zhèlǐ yǒu méiyǒu chén niàng chā?)Do you have any aged tea here?
- 156 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
At a cafe, Haoran and Xiaowen are ordering drinks.
- 浩然 Haoran晓雯，你想喝什么？Xiǎowén, nǐ xiǎng hē shénme?Xiaowen, what do you want to drink?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen我想喝茶。Wǒ xiǎng hē chá.I want to drink tea.
- 浩然 Haoran好，我点一杯热茶。Hǎo, wǒ diǎn yì bēi rè chá.Okay, I will order a cup of hot tea.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen谢谢你，浩然。Xièxiè nǐ, Hàorán.Thank you, Haoran.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tea” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 茶, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
