奶茶

• Pinyin: nǎi chá
• Hanzi breakdown: 奶 = 女 (woman) + 乃 (phonetic), meaning milk; 茶 = 艹 (grass) + 人 + 木, a plant used for brewing a drink

Meaning

Milk tea. A popular beverage made by combining tea with milk or cream, often with added sugar and toppings.

Extremely popular among young people in China, where bubble milk tea (珍珠奶茶) shops are on nearly every street. Refers to both traditional milk tea and modern variations with toppings like tapioca pearls, pudding, or fruit. Ordering milk tea has become a social activity and a cultural phenomenon among Chinese youth.

Examples

1. 下午我们去买杯奶茶吧。 Let's go buy a cup of milk tea this afternoon.
2. 她每天都要喝一杯奶茶。 She has to drink a cup of milk tea every day.
3. 这家店的奶茶又便宜又好喝。 The milk tea at this shop is both cheap and delicious.

Usage Guide

Context: food and drink, social life, daily life

Tone: friendly

Do Say

• 我请你喝奶茶吧。(Let me treat you to milk tea.)
• 你喜欢什么口味的奶茶？(What flavour of milk tea do you like?)

Don't Say

• 请给我一杯奶茶加咖啡。(Don't combine 奶茶 with coffee as one drink — they are separate beverages. If you want milk coffee, say 拿铁 or 牛奶咖啡.)

Origin & History

奶 means milk (女 woman + 乃 archaic 'to be', phonetic); 茶 means tea (艹 grass/plant + 余, originally depicting a tea plant). Together: milk tea.

Cultural Context

Generation: Young people and all ages

Social background: Universal