Tee
/teː/masculine
The English phrase tea is translated into German as Tee.
Tee refers to a drink made from the leaves of a tea plant. Related terms include Kräutertee for herbal tea, Frühstückstee for breakfast tea and Kamillentee for chamomile tea. You may also encounter Teekanne for teapot and Teelöffel for teaspoon.
Meaning: drink made from leaves of tea plant (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
Tee is a masculine noun and is used with the definite article der.
How do you pronounce it?
/teː/
When do people say it?
East Frisian tea involves serving tea with cream and rock sugar.
Did you know?
- The German word Tee likely arrived via Dutch, rather than directly from the original Chinese or through English. This reflects the historical dominance of Dutch maritime trade in the 17th century.
- A German 'Teekanne' is not just a container but a staple of German 'Stillleben' (still life) paintings from the Baroque period, where it symbolized domestic luxury.
- The word Teelöffel is used not only for the physical spoon but also as a standard unit of measurement in German cooking recipes.
Examples in context
- Der Tee ist süß.The tea is sweet.This sentence is useful for describing the sweetness of the Tee.Tatoeba #8320532 by MisterTrouser, translation #12536282 by sundown
- Ist das Ihr Tee?Is this your tea?This sentence is useful for asking if the Tee belongs to someone.Tatoeba #10684521 by Pfirsichbaeumchen, translation #9480087 by sundown
- Der Tee ist heiß.The tea is hot.This sentence is useful for describing the temperature of the Tee.Tatoeba #782019 by Hans_Adler, translation #462952 by lukaszpp
- Ich möchte eine Tasse Tee, bitteI would like a cup of tea, please
- 920 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
In a cozy cafe, Laura and Maximilian are ordering drinks.
- MaximilianMöchtest du einen Tee, Laura?Would you like a tea, Laura?
- LauraJa, bitte. Ich liebe Tee.Yes, please. I love tea.
- MaximilianIch nehme einen Kaffee.I'll have a coffee.
- LauraDer Tee hier ist fantastisch.The tea here is fantastic.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tea” translations and entries Tee, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Tee, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
