čaj
Latin, masculine
The English word "tea" is translated into Croatian as čaj.
čaj refers to the drink made from the leaves of the tea plant. You can specify types of tea by adding a color-based adjective: crni čaj for black tea and zeleni čaj for green tea.
Meaning: drink made from leaves of tea plant (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
čaj is a masculine noun.
Did you know?
- The Croatian word čaj is borrowed from Ottoman Turkish, reflecting the historical influence of the Ottoman Empire in the Balkans.
- While in English 'tea' is often a specific beverage, in Croatia, čaj is a broad term used for any herbal infusion, including dried chamomile or mint.
- Unlike the English 'tea' which can be a meal (afternoon tea), in Croatia, čaj is strictly a beverage and is never used to describe a time of day or a meal.
Examples in context
- Želiš li čaj ili kavu?Would you like tea or coffee?This sentence is useful for offering a choice between čaj and coffee.Tatoeba #933899 by akvo, translation #64213 by CK
- Vang Lao Dži nije pivo. Čaj je.Wang Lao Ji isn't beer. It's tea.This sentence is useful for identifying a drink as čaj rather than beer.Tatoeba #540501 by FeuDRenais, translation #540494 by FeuDRenais
- Stavljaš li mlijeko u svoj čaj?Do you put milk in your tea?This sentence is useful for asking if someone adds milk to their čaj.Tatoeba #13793457 by mervert1, translation #8026580 by CK
- Dobar dan! Mogu li dobiti čaj, molim vas?Good day! Can I have some tea, please?
- Imate li crni čaj?Do you have black tea?
- Mogu li dobiti čaj s mlijekom?Can I have tea with milk?
- Hvala lijepa na čaju!Thank you very much for the tea!
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Petra and Luka are relaxing in the kitchen.
- PetraHoćeš li jedan vruć čaj?Do you want a hot tea?
- LukaDa, molim te, hvala.Yes, please, thank you.
- PetraKoji čaj najviše voliš?Which tea do you like most?
- LukaVolim zeleni čaj.I like green tea.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tea” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries čaj, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
