cai3沏
Jyutpingcai3
Yalechai
Definition
To brew, especially to brew tea with hot water.
neutraldrinkfood
How it's used
While 沏 is the specific term for brewing tea, it carries a slightly more refined or traditional connotation compared to the everyday verb 沖. You will often hear it used in the context of tea ceremonies or when someone is being particularly attentive to the process of preparing tea. In casual, everyday settings, most people simply use 沖 to describe the act of making a drink with hot water.
Examples
He just brewed a pot of Tieguanyin tea.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 砌, which sounds identical but means to build or assemble, often used in the context of playing mahjong or stacking objects.
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.
