飲茶
yamucha[ja̠mɯ̟t͡ɕa̠]
The English phrase yum cha is translated into Japanese as 飲茶 (yamucha).
飲茶 is a noun used to refer to a traditional Chinese meal.
Meaning: traditional Chinese meal (noun)
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is yamucha.
Did you know?
- In Japan, 飲茶 is often used specifically to describe a set of small steamed dishes, whereas in Cantonese it refers to the entire social experience of 'drinking tea'.
- The Japanese word 飲茶 was borrowed from Cantonese as early as 1943.
- The word 茶 in 飲茶 is a cognate with the English word 'tea', as both eventually trace back to the same Chinese root.
Example sentences for Japanese are not verified yet.
Example conversation
Two friends are deciding what to eat for lunch.
- 陽葵 Himari大翔くん、お昼に飲茶はどう？Hiroto-kun, ohiru ni yumcha wa dō?Hiroto, how about yum cha for lunch?
- 大翔 Hirotoいいですね。行きましょう！Ii desu ne. Ikimashō!That sounds good. Let's go!
- 陽葵 Himari近くに美味しいお店がありますよ。Chikaku ni oishii omise ga arimasu yo.There is a delicious shop nearby.
- 大翔 Hiroto楽しみです。早く行きましょう。Tanoshimi desu. Hayaku ikimashō.I'm looking forward to it. Let's go quickly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “yum cha” translations and entries 飲茶, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 飲茶, CC BY-SA 4.0.
