How do you use "Tea / Spill the tea" in a sentence?

Spill the tea—what happened? And that's the tea, sis. I'm just here sipping my tea.

Tea / Spill the tea

Q: What does "Tea / Spill the tea" mean?

Gossip; the truth. 'Spill the tea' = share the gossip. Tea is gossip, truth, the real story—juicy information someone's been keeping secret. 'Spill the tea' demands disclosure; 'that's the tea' confirms a statement as undeniable truth; 'sipping tea' means observing drama without participating (often visualized with the Kermit meme). The term carries the warmth and intimacy of actual tea-drinking: sharing tea is sharing secrets, being trusted with the real story. It's gossip elevated to ritual.

Slang Term AmericanBritishAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Very Casual

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含义: Gossip; the truth. 'Spill the tea' = share the gossip.

八卦、真相、内幕。

Cotilleo, verdad o la historia real.

ゴシップ、真実、本当の話。

가십; 진실. 'Spill the tea' = 가십을 털어놓다.

Tea is gossip, truth, the real story—juicy information someone's been keeping secret. 'Spill the tea' demands disclosure; 'that's the tea' confirms a statement as undeniable truth; 'sipping tea' means observing drama without participating (often visualized with the Kermit meme). The term carries the warmth and intimacy of actual tea-drinking: sharing tea is sharing secrets, being trusted with the real story. It's gossip elevated to ritual.

「Tea」指八卦或真相。「Spill the tea」＝分享八卦。「That's the tea」＝那就是事实。「No tea, no shade」＝我不是在八卦或阴阳怪气，只是陈述事实。在变装文化和粉丝文化中不可或缺。

«Tea» es cotilleo o la verdad. «Spill the tea» = cuenta el cotilleo. «That's the tea» = esa es la verdad. «No tea, no shade» = no estoy cotilleando ni siendo borde, solo digo los hechos. Esencial en la cultura drag y de fans.

「Tea」はゴシップや真実のこと。「Spill the tea」＝ゴシップを教えて。「That's the tea」＝それが真実。「No tea, no shade」＝ゴシップでも嫌味でもなく、事実を言ってるだけ。ドラァグ文化やスタン文化に欠かせない表現。

티(Tea)는 가십, 진실, 진짜 이야기—누군가가 숨기고 있던 흥미진진한 정보를 뜻한다. 'Spill the tea'는 공개를 요구하고, 'that's the tea'는 어떤 진술이 부인할 수 없는 진실임을 확인하며, 'sipping tea'는 드라마에 참여하지 않고 관찰하는 것을 뜻한다(커밋 밈으로 시각화되기도 한다). 이 용어는 실제 차를 마시는 것의 따뜻함과 친밀감을 담고 있다: 차를 나누는 것은 비밀을 나누는 것, 진짜 이야기를 들을 만큼 신뢰받는 것이다. 의식으로 승화된 수다인 셈이다.

例句

Spill the tea—what happened?
快说八卦，发生了什么？
Cuenta el cotilleo, ¿qué pasó?
お茶をこぼして、何があったの？
가십 좀 풀어봐—무슨 일이야?
And that's the tea, sis.
事实就是这样，姐妹
Esa es la verdad, hermana
それが真実だよ、シス
그게 진실이야.
I'm just here sipping my tea.
不是八卦也不是阴阳怪气，但她确实错了
Sin ánimo de cotillear, pero estaba equivocada
ゴシップでも嫌味でもないけど、彼女は間違ってた
나는 그냥 여기서 차나 마시고 있을게.

发音

/tiː/

用法指南

语境: gossip, truth, drama

语气: conspiratorial, playful

✓ 正确说法

Spill the tea
快说八卦
suelta el cotilleo
ゴシップを教えて
가십 풀어봐
That's the tea
这就是真相
esa es la verdad
それが真実
그게 진실이야
Sipping tea
无意冒犯
sin mala intención
悪気はないけど
차 마시며 구경 중
What's the tea?
喝茶看戏
observar sin intervenir
お茶をすする＝静かに見守る
무슨 소식 있어?

✗ 错误说法

Originated in Black drag/ballroom culture—acknowledge these roots
源自黑人变装/舞厅文化——要认识到这个词的文化根源
Se originó en la cultura drag/ballroom afroamericana, reconoce esas raíces
ブラック・ドラァグ／ボールルーム文化が起源——そのルーツを認識しておく
흑인 드래그/볼룸 문화에서 유래—그 뿌리를 인식해 둘 것
Don't use in professional settings; it's casual gossip vocabulary
不要在职业场合使用——这是随意的八卦用语
No lo uses en entornos profesionales, es vocabulario de cotilleo informal
職場では使わない——カジュアルなゴシップ用語
직장에서는 쓰지 마라—캐주얼한 가십 용어

常见错误

'T' (truth) vs 'tea' (gossip/truth)—both spellings exist but 'tea' dominates now
'Sipping tea' implies watching drama unfold without involvement—passive observation

起源与历史

The term emerged from Black drag and ballroom culture in the 1990s, possibly as 'T' for 'truth' (later spelled 'tea' for the pun). The documentary 'Paris Is Burning' (1990) captured early ballroom language. RuPaul's Drag Race brought it to broader audiences from 2009 onwards. The Kermit 'but that's none of my business' meme (2014) cemented 'sipping tea' as passive-aggressive observation. By the late 2010s, 'tea' was mainstream internet vocabulary.

词源: From drag/ballroom culture, possibly 'T' for truth

最早记录: 1990s ballroom, mainstream 2010s

文化背景

Era: 1990s ballroom, mainstream 2010s

Generation: Millennials and Gen Z

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: RuPaul's Drag Race; Kermit meme

Regional notes: American origin from Black/drag culture, now global.

变体

TeaSpill the teaSipping teaThat's the tea