ਚਾਹ
cāh/t͡ʃäː˥/feminine
The Punjabi word for tea is ਚਾਹ (cāh).
ਚਾਹ refers to the drink made from the leaves of the tea plant.
Meaning: drink made from leaves of tea plant (noun)
Is it said differently in some regions?
The term ਚਾਹ is prevalent in the Majhi region.
How does it change in a sentence?
ਚਾਹ is a feminine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃäː˥/
Did you know?
- The word ਚਾਹ is a linguistic fossil of the Silk Road, tracing a path from ancient Chinese tea culture through Persian merchants to the Punjabi language.
- Offering ਚਾਹ to a guest is a fundamental social obligation in Punjabi culture and refusing it can be seen as a slight.
- While ਚਾਹ is the noun for the drink, the act of 'having tea' in Punjabi culture often implies a long social visit rather than just the consumption of a liquid.
Examples in context
- ਮੈਨੂੰ ਚਾਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਪਸੰਦ ਹੈ।mainū chāh bahut pasand hai.I like tea very much.
- ਕੀ ਤੁਸੀਂ ਚਾਹ ਪੀਓਗੇ?kī tusī̃ chāh pī'ōgē?Will you drink tea?
- ਚਾਹ ਬਹੁਤ ਗਰਮ ਹੈ।chāh bahut garam hai.The tea is very hot.
Example conversation
Preet and Ravinder are sitting in a living room in the afternoon.
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਰਵਿੰਦਰ, ਕੀ ਮੈਂ ਤੁਹਾਡੇ ਲਈ ਚਾਹ ਬਣਾਵਾਂ?ravindar, kī maĩ tuhāḍē lī'ē chāh banāvā̃?Ravinder, shall I make tea for you?
- ਰਵਿੰਦਰ Ravinderਹਾਂ ਪ੍ਰੀਤ, ਬਹੁਤ ਧੰਨਵਾਦ।hā̃ prīt, bahut dhanvād.Yes Preet, thank you very much.
- ਪ੍ਰੀਤ Preetਤੁਹਾਨੂੰ ਚਾਹ ਵਿੱਚ ਚੀਨੀ ਚਾਹੀਦੀ ਹੈ?tuhānū̃ chāh vica chīnī chāhīdī hai?Do you want sugar in your tea?
- ਰਵਿੰਦਰ Ravinderਨਹੀਂ, ਬਿਨਾਂ ਚੀਨੀ ਦੇ ਹੀ ਚਾਹ ਲਿਆਓ।nahī̃, binā̃ chīnī dē hī chāh li'ā'ō.No, just bring the tea without sugar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tea” translations and entries ਚਾਹ, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ਚਾਹ, CC BY-SA 4.0.
