caa4茶

Jyutpingcaa4

Yalechàh

名詞Common

Definition

Tea leaves, the beverage brewed from them, or herbal tea and infusions.

the leaves of the tea plant, or the beverage brewed from them
herbal tea, tisane, or infusions made from other plants and herbs

jat1一bui1杯caa4茶gei2幾do1多cin2錢？

jat1一bui1杯caa4茶gei2几do1多cin2钱？

How much is a cup of tea?

colloquialdrinkdim sum

How it's used

Beyond the literal beverage, this term is central to Hong Kong social life through the concept of yum cha, which refers to the ritual of eating dim sum with tea. It is also used as a suffix for various herbal or medicinal infusions that do not contain actual tea leaves, such as 涼茶. When someone asks if you want to drink tea, they are almost always inviting you to a meal or a social gathering rather than just a simple drink.

Measure word

bui1杯būi

Examples

nei5你jam2飲m4唔jam2飲caa4茶aa4呀？

Do you want to drink some tea?

le1呢bui1杯caa4茶hou2好hoeng1香aa4呀。

This cup of tea is very fragrant.

Common phrases

jam2飲caa4茶

to drink tea or to go for dim sum

hung4紅caa4茶

black tea

luk6綠caa4茶

green tea

Common mistake

Do not confuse the act of drinking tea with the specific cultural activity of yum cha, which implies a full meal of dim sum. If you simply want to have a cup of tea at home, it is better to specify the type of tea or just say you are drinking tea.