茶碗
chawan[t͡ɕa̠β̞ã̠ɴ]
In Japanese, teacup is translated as 茶碗 (chawan) or 湯呑み.
Meaning: cup for drinking tea (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 茶碗 | chawan | [t͡ɕa̠β̞ã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 湯呑み | yunomi | [jɯ̟no̞mʲi] (narrow) |
The term for a cup used for drinking tea depends on the specific type of vessel you are describing. While 茶碗 can refer to a teacup, it is more commonly used for a rice bowl. If you are at a Japanese restaurant or a friend's house and want to drink tea, you are most likely looking for a 湯呑み.
Which one should you use?
湯呑み (yunomi) is used specifically for a handleless teacup designed for green tea. In contrast, although 茶碗 (chawan) can mean a teacup, it is more commonly used to refer to a rice bowl.
How do you pronounce it?
chawan
Did you know?
- In the formal tea ceremony, the 茶碗 is often rotated twice in the hand before drinking to avoid placing the lips on the most decorative side.
- While 湯呑み is used for daily green tea, the formal teacups used in the Japanese tea ceremony are often intentionally irregular or asymmetrical in shape.
- In a traditional Japanese meal, the 茶碗 containing rice is held in the hand while eating, unlike Western customs where bowls remain on the table.
Examples in context
- 湯飲みにはお茶を入れてお茶碗にはご飯をよそいます。We pour tea in a teacup and serve rice in a rice bowl.This sentence demonstrates the distinction between using 茶碗 for rice and using a cup for tea.Tatoeba #13714041 by GreySquirrel, translation #13714042 by GreySquirrel
- お茶はカップで飲むのが好きです。I like drinking tea in teacups.
Example conversation
Daito and Yui are preparing tea in the kitchen.
- 大翔 Hiroto結衣、茶碗を準備して。Yui, chawan o junbi shite.Yui, please prepare the teacups.
- 結衣 Yuiはい、大翔。もう出したよ。Hai, Daito. Mou dashita yo.Okay, Daito. I already put them out.
- 大翔 Hirotoありがとう。この茶碗がいいね。Arigato. Kono chawan ga ii ne.Thanks. These teacups are nice, aren't they?
- 結衣 Yuiそうだね。お気に入りなんだ。Sou da ne. Okiniiri nan da.They are. They're my favorite.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “teacup” translations and entries 茶碗, 湯呑み, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
