tsaa
/t͡ʃaˈʔa/
The English word "tea" is tsaa in Tagalog. It is also spelled tsa or saa.
Meaning: drink made from leaves of tea plant (noun)
Ways to say it
| Tagalog | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| tsaa | /t͡ʃaˈʔa/ (Standard Tagalog) /tsaˈʔa/ |
|
| tsa | /ˈt͡ʃa/ (Standard Tagalog) /ˈtsa/ |
alternative form |
| saa | /saˈʔa/ (Standard Tagalog) | alternative form |
The term refers to the drink made from the leaves of the tea plant. You may also encounter the phrase Tsaang gubat, which specifically refers to herbal tea or native forest tea.
Which one should you use?
tsaa is the standard spelling. tsa and saa are alternative spellings of tsaa.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃaˈʔa/
Did you know?
- In modern Tagalog, tsaa can be used as slang for gossip, a direct semantic loan from the English phrase 'spill the tea'.
- In traditional Filipino hospitality, offering tsaa is often accompanied by local sweets like kakanin rather than Western cookies.
- The term Tsaang gubat is often used as a natural mouthwash or treatment for sore throats in rural areas.
Examples in context
- Uminom ka ng tsa.Drink some tea.This sentence is useful for practicing a command to drink some tsa.Tatoeba #4651053 by nonong, translation #466005 by CM
- Uminom po ng tsa.Please drink tea.This sentence is useful for a polite request to drink tsa.Tatoeba #4651077 by nonong, translation #2366729 by NotApplicable
- Umiinom ka ng tsa.You drink tea.This sentence is useful for stating that someone is drinking tsa.Tatoeba #4651048 by nonong, translation #20123 by fishda
- Pwede po bang makahingi ng tsaa?Can I have some tea, please?
- Tara, magkita tayo sa tindahan ng tsaa mamaya.Let's meet at the tea shop later.
- Natutuwa akong uminom ng iba't ibang klase ng tsaa.I enjoy drinking different kinds of tea.
- Natikman mo na ba ang lokal na tsaang gubat?Have you tried the local herbal tea?
- 41 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Angela and Jose are relaxing in the living room.
- AngelaGusto mo ba ng mainit na tsaa?Do you want some hot tea?
- JoseOo, sige. Salamat, Angela.Yes, please. Thanks, Angela.
- AngelaMayroon pa ba tayong tsaa sa kusina?Do we still have tea in the kitchen?
- JoseMeron pa, Jose ang kukuha nito.There is still some, Jose will get it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tea” translations and entries tsaa, tsa, saa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tsaa, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
