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Kotomora

茶

tea

JLPTN4StatusJōyō · grade 2FrequencyTop 2,000Strokes9

Readings

On'yomi

  • チャ
  • サ

Kun'yomi

—

Nanori

  • ちや

Meaning

茶 centers on tea: the drink, the plant, and the culture around it.

Most common words using 茶

20 of 334
  • お茶おちゃ
    N5

    tea (esp. green or barley)

  • 茶ちゃ
    N3

    tea

  • 滅茶苦茶めちゃくちゃ
    N3

    absurd; unreasonable; nonsensical; preposterous; incoherent

  • 紅茶こうちゃ
    N5

    black tea

  • 無茶むちゃ
    N1

    absurd; unreasonable; ridiculous

  • 茶色ちゃいろ
    N5

    brown; light brown; tawny

  • 喫茶店きっさてん
    N5

    coffee shop; tearoom; coffee lounge; coffeehouse; cafe

  • 喫茶きっさ
    N1

    tea drinking

  • 抹茶まっちゃ

    matcha; powdered green tea

  • 目茶目茶めちゃめちゃ
    N1

    disorderly; messy; ruined

  • 緑茶りょくちゃ

    green tea; Japanese tea

  • 茶屋ちゃや

    teahouse; (Edo period) rest stop

  • 茶番ちゃばん

    farce; charade

  • 茶碗ちゃわん
    N5

    rice bowl; tea cup; teacup

  • 無茶苦茶むちゃくちゃ
    N2

    nonsensical; unreasonable; absurd; unrealistic

  • 茶髪ちゃぱつ

    hair dyed brown; brown-dyed hair

  • 麦茶むぎちゃ

    barley tea

  • 茶道さどう
    N3

    tea ceremony; Way of Tea; sadō

  • 茶飯事さはんじ

    matter of no importance; commonly occurring thing; commonplace event; bread and butter item

  • 茶の間ちゃのま
    N1

    (Japanese-style) living room

Explore all words using 茶 →

Study

Etymology

茶 combines 艹 (grass/plant) with a simplified form that historically derives from 余, which likely contributed the sound. The character originally referred to the tea plant.

Meaning mnemonic

The top 艹 is the grass radical, suggesting a plant. The bottom looks like a person under a roof, perhaps preparing tea. Together, 茶 is the tea plant.

Reading mnemonic

For チャ, imagine a steaming cup of tea: the sound of a satisfied 'cha' after a sip cues チャ.