jam2 zou2 caa4飲早茶饮早茶

Jyutpingjam2 zou2 caa4

Yaleyám jóu chàh

Definition

To have dim sum and morning tea.

colloquialdim sumfood

How it's used

This phrase refers to the quintessential Cantonese tradition of eating dim sum in the morning, often lasting for hours. It is as much a social activity as it is a meal, frequently involving older generations gathering to read newspapers or catch up. While the literal meaning involves drinking tea, the focus is heavily on the variety of steamed and fried dishes shared at the table.

Examples

ting1聽ziu1朝jat1一cai4齊heoi3去jam2飲zou2早caa4茶hou2好m4唔hou2好aa4呀？

Shall we go for morning tea together tomorrow morning?

ngo5我dei6哋mui5每go3個lai5禮baai3拜jat6日dou1都wui6會heoi3去jam2飲zou2早caa4茶。

We go for morning tea every Sunday.

Common phrases

heoi3去jam2飲zou2早caa4茶

to go for morning tea

pui4陪uk1屋kei2企jan4人jam2飲zou2早caa4茶

to accompany family for morning tea

Common mistake

Learners often mistake this for just drinking tea, but it is synonymous with eating dim sum. If you only want to drink tea, you would typically use 飲茶 or 飲杯茶 instead.