沏

• Pinyin: qī
• Hanzi breakdown: 沏 = 氵(water radical) + 切 (to cut, phonetic component)

Meaning

To brew or steep tea by pouring hot water over tea leaves.

Specifically refers to making tea through infusion. A key verb in Chinese tea culture. The standard way to describe preparing loose-leaf tea. Water temperature matters greatly for quality.

Examples

1. 她用精选的龙井叶沏了一壶清香四溢的绿茶。 She brewed a pot of fragrant green tea with carefully selected Longjing leaves.
2. 客人刚到，主人便起身沏茶相待，热情款款。 As soon as the guests arrived, the host got up to brew tea for them, warmly and graciously.
3. 沏茶要注意水温，绿茶不宜用沸水冲泡。 When brewing tea, pay attention to the water temperature—green tea shouldn’t be steeped with boiling water.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, hospitality, tea culture

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 请稍等，我去沏壶茶，马上回来。(Please wait a moment, I'll go brew some tea and be right back.)
• 沏茶是中国传统待客之道中不可缺少的环节。(Brewing tea is an indispensable part of traditional Chinese hospitality.)

Don't Say

• 我煮了一杯茶 — use 沏了一杯茶 for steeped/brewed tea; 煮 implies boiling leaves directly in water, which is a different method

Origin & History

沏 = 氵(water) + 切 (cut/steep, phonetic) — water steeping through leaves

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal