cung1 caa4沖茶冲茶
Jyutpingcung1 caa4
Yalechūng chàh
Definition
To make, brew, or steep tea.
colloquialfooddrink
How it's used
Refers specifically to the act of steeping tea leaves in hot water, rather than just boiling water or preparing other drinks. It is deeply tied to the culture of yum cha, where asking someone to 沖茶 is a common way to initiate a social break. Unlike the Mandarin term 泡茶, 沖茶 implies the use of a teapot and a more deliberate process of pouring water over leaves.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 沖涼, which means to take a shower. While both use the character 沖, the context of tea versus bathing makes them distinct, but beginners often mix them up due to the shared verb.
Grammar color guide
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Grammar guides
- Directional complementsThe small words added after a verb to show direction of movement, like up, down, out, in, and back. Common in everyday Cantonese.
- DemonstrativesThis and that with 呢 and 嗰, the personal pronouns, and how 哋 turns I, you, and he into we, you all, and they.
- Resultative complementsSticking a result word onto a verb to show how it turned out, like eat until full or look and find. A productive everyday pattern.
