茶

chá n.

The bitter leaves of the Camellia sinensis plant steeped in hot water as a drink. Tea, tea leaves, the brewed beverage, or things related to tea.

Common Usage & Traps

  • 喝茶 (hē chá) — drink tea
  • 一杯茶 (yì bēi chá) — a cup of tea
  • 热茶 (rè chá) — hot tea
  • 热热的茶 (rè rè de chá) — nice hot tea
  • 吃茶 喝茶

    Standard modern Mandarin uses 喝 for drinking tea; 吃茶 is dialectal or old-fashioned.

  • 一个茶 一杯茶

    Tea as a drink is counted with 杯, not the generic 个.

Can I just say 我喜欢茶, or do I need 喝?

我喜欢茶 means you like tea as a thing; 我喜欢喝茶 means you like drinking tea.

Both can be correct, but they focus on different things. 我喜欢茶 treats tea as a product or category, like tea leaves or tea culture. 我喜欢喝茶 treats drinking tea as an activity you enjoy. In daily chat, if you mean the habit, use 我喜欢喝茶.
DimensionNaturalAvoid
When you mean the habit我喜欢喝茶我喜欢茶
When you mean tea as a product我喜欢茶我喜欢喝茶

Why is it 一杯茶 and not 一个茶?

Tea comes in cups, so use 杯, not the default 个.

Chinese uses measure words when counting nouns. 杯 means cup, so 一杯茶 means one cup of tea. 个 is a generic measure word, but it does not fit tea as a drink. You can say 一个茶杯 for a teacup, not 一个茶.
DimensionNaturalAvoid
Count tea as a drink一杯茶一个茶
Count teacups一个茶杯一个茶
Ordering in a cafe来一杯茶来一个茶

What's the difference between 热茶 and 热热的茶?

热茶 is plain hot tea; 热热的茶 sounds cozier and more vivid.

Both 热茶 and 热热的茶 are correct, but they feel different. 热茶 is neutral, like a menu item. 热热的茶 doubles 热 to add warmth and coziness. It sounds like you are savoring the tea, not just stating temperature. 我坐在桌前,在喝一杯茶,一杯热热的茶。
DimensionNaturalAvoid
Neutral menu item热茶热热的茶
Cozy, vivid description热热的茶热茶

Appears in Stories 5 stories

Real context sentences across different daily scenarios and graded readings.

《这还是茶馆儿吗?》 (Teahouse or Cinema?) HSK 3
~3 min read 325 chars
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Ever wondered where old Beijing's tea-drinking culture has gone? Follow a visitor discovering why locals now avoid famous tea houses—and practice expressing surprise and comparisons in Chinese along the way.

  • 他说,现在喜欢去茶馆喝 茶 的老北京不很多了。

  • 很多老北京以前是有去茶馆儿喝 茶 的习惯的。

《你也在想我吗》 (Do You Miss Me Too?) HSK 1
~2 min read 128 chars
Read story →

This short, soothing piece is about missing someone on a rainy night. The sentences are simple and repeat often, so you can practice reading while feeling the warm emotion.

  • 我坐在桌前,在喝一杯 茶 ,一杯热热的 茶 。

  • 你有热 茶 喝吗?

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