茶叶

• Pinyin: chá yè
• Hanzi breakdown: 茶 = 艹(grass) + 余 (variant, phonetic component) — a plant used to make tea; 叶 = 口 (mouth) + 十 (ten), simplified form of 葉 (leaf)

Meaning

Tea leaves; tea. Refers to the dried leaves of the tea plant used for brewing tea.

While 茶 alone can mean both the drink and the leaves, 茶叶 specifically emphasizes the physical leaves. Used when discussing buying, storing, or gifting tea. Tea is deeply embedded in Chinese culture, and 茶叶 is a common gift and topic of conversation.

Examples

1. 这种茶叶是从福建寄过来的。 This tea was sent over from Fujian.
2. 爷爷每天都用新茶叶泡茶喝。 Grandpa brews tea with fresh tea leaves every day.
3. 我想买一些好的茶叶送给朋友。 I want to buy some good tea to give to a friend.

Usage Guide

Context: food, gift-giving, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 这个茶叶闻起来很香。(This tea smells wonderful.)
• 中国有很多种类的茶叶。(China has many types of tea.)

Don't Say

• 请给我一杯茶叶 (When ordering the drink, say 一杯茶, not 一杯茶叶 — 茶叶 refers to the leaves, not the brewed drink)

Origin & History

茶 means tea (originally written as 荼); 叶 means leaf. Together they literally mean 'tea leaves.'

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal