(chá) - Tea — the beverage made from the leaves & tea plant

Tone 2

chá | 9 strokes | radical: 艹

· chá

Tea — the beverage made from the leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant;

tea plant;

tea leaves.

Tea — the beverage made from the leavestea planttea leaves.

Usage highlights

Green teaBlack teaTea houseTea ceremonyTea setTea plantation

Synonyms

  • Tea (especially young tea leaves or a refined term for tea)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • I drink green tea every morning (绿茶).
  • We went to a traditional tea house (茶馆).
  • Tea ceremony is an important cultural practice (茶道).
  • This region is famous for tea production (产茶区).

Collocations

  • Green tea(绿茶)
  • Black tea(红茶)
  • Tea house(茶馆)
  • Tea ceremony(茶道)
  • Tea set(茶具)
  • Tea plantation(茶园)

Idioms

  • Like firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar, and tea — the seven necessities of life(柴米油盐酱醋茶)
  • To have no interest in tea or food — to be worried or anxious(茶饭不思)
  • Tea after meal — to chat after eating(茶余饭后)
  • To pass tea and pour water — to serve tea attentively(端茶倒水)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • Tea originated in China and has been consumed for medicinal and recreational purposes for millennia.
  • The character 茶 evolved from 荼 (tú), which originally referred to a bitter vegetable and later specifically to tea.
  • Tea culture (茶文化) is deeply ingrained in Chinese society, encompassing ceremonies, social etiquette, and philosophy.
  • The Silk Road facilitated the spread of tea from China to the rest of the world.

FAQ