茶
Meanings
Refers to tea as a drink or tea leaves. In everyday conversation, お茶 is often more natural, but 茶 is common in writing, compounds, labels, and plain expressions.
See also: お茶
I had a cup of hot tea after the meal.
This tea has a nice aroma.
tea plant; Camellia sinensis
Botanical or agricultural use referring to the tea plant or tea as a crop, not the prepared drink.
Tea has been cultivated in this region for a long time.
tea ceremony; tea preparation; making tea
Refers to the practice or art of preparing tea, especially in contexts close to 茶道. Often appears in phrases about learning or knowing the tea ceremony.
See also: 茶道
She has studied the tea ceremony since she was young.
Learn the etiquette of tea preparation.
Abbreviation of 茶色. Common as a short color label, especially in product descriptions, clothing, design, or lists; 茶色 is clearer in ordinary full sentences.
See also: 茶色
These shoes come in black and brown.
I'm looking for a brown bag.
Archaic use meaning mockery or teasing; not a normal standalone modern word in this sense. It is related in meaning to modern 茶化す, 'to make fun of' or 'to tease.'
See also: 茶化す
The old use of 茶 is close to the sense of teasing that remains in modern 茶化す.
Usage patterns
- 茶を飲むto drink tea
Every morning, I drink tea after breakfast.
- 茶を点てるto prepare tea in the tea ceremony
The tea ceremony teacher carefully prepared the tea.
- 茶を摘むto pick tea leaves
When spring comes, farmers pick the tea leaves.
- 茶がかった〈物〉tinged with brown; brownish
This wall is a brownish color.
- 茶を入れるto make/brew tea
A guest came, so I made some tea.
- 茶を習うto learn the tea ceremony
I'm learning the tea ceremony at university.
Expressions· 8
- 茶にするmake fun of; look down on; make light of · take a tea break; rest
- 茶を濁すevade questions; beat around the bush; throw up a smoke screen
- 茶腹も一時anything is better than nothing; a little tea can stave off hunger for a while
- アラビアチャノキkhat tree; qat tree
- へそが茶を沸かすwhat a joke!; don't make me laugh! · to split one's sides laughing; to be convulsed with laughter
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- へそで茶を沸かすwhat a joke!; don't make me laugh! · to split one's sides laughing; to be convulsed with laughter
- 鬼も十八番茶も出花even homely girls look beautiful at the peak of their youth
- 大きにお世話、お茶でも上がれmind your own business!; keep out of it!