çay
/ˈt͡ʃaj/
çay is the Turkish word for tea.
çay is used to refer to the drink made from the leaves of the tea plant. If you wish to specify that the tea is brewed strong, you can use the phrase Demli Çay.
Meaning: drink made from leaves of tea plant (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
To form the plural teas, use çaylar.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈtʃaj/. The [ch] sound is like the start of [ch]ange and the [y] sound is like the start of [y]es.
When do people say it?
In Turkey, tea is a staple of social life and is typically served in small, tulip-shaped glasses.
Did you know?
- The word çay is also used in Turkish to refer to a small stream or brook, despite being primarily known as a drink.
- The word çay shares the same root as the Chinese word for tea, tracing a long linguistic path from East Asia through Persia into Turkish.
- Turkish tea is traditionally brewed in a two-tiered pot called a çaydanlık, where water boils in the bottom and the tea steeps in the top.
Examples in context
- Bu çay çok acı.This tea is too bitter.This sentence is useful for describing the bitterness of çay.Tatoeba #1276977 by duran, translation #1064226 by CK
- Tom çay içer mi?Does Tom drink tea?This sentence is useful for asking if someone drinks çay.Tatoeba #5706798 by duran, translation #5706711 by CK
- Bu çay çok sıcak.This tea is very hot.This sentence is useful for describing the temperature of çay.Tatoeba #1265105 by duran, translation #61267 by CK
- İki demli çay, lütfen.Two strong teas, please.
- Demlikte çay var mı?Is there tea in the teapot?
- 706 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Can and Zeynep are relaxing in the living room.
- CanZeynep, çay ister misin?Zeynep, do you want tea?
- ZeynepEvet, lütfen.Yes, please.
- CanŞekerli mi olsun?Should it be with sugar?
- ZeynepHayır, ben çay şekersiz içerim.No, I drink tea without sugar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “tea” translations and entries çay, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries çay, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
