caa4荼
Jyutpingcaa4
Yalechàh
Definition
An ancient or alternative form of the character for tea.
colloquialdrink
How it's used
Historically, 荼 was used to refer to bitter vegetables or herbs before the character 茶 was standardized for tea. In modern Cantonese, it is almost exclusively used as a stylistic or variant character for 茶, often appearing in traditional signage or calligraphy to evoke a sense of heritage. It is rarely used in everyday digital communication, where 茶 is the standard choice.
Measure word
bui1杯būiExamples
The tea here is very fragrant.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners should avoid using 荼 in formal writing or exams, as it is technically a variant and may be considered a typo by modern standards. Stick to 茶 for all standard contexts.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- Aspect markersCantonese has no tenses, but it does have aspect markers. Learn how zo2, gwo3, gan2, and hai2 dou6 show completion, experience, and ongoing action.
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
