ちゃ
JLPT:N3
Frequency:
1

Tea — the beverage made from tea leaves (e.g., green tea, black tea).

Noun

Examples

朝ごはんに茶を一杯飲むのが習慣だ。

I have a cup of tea with breakfast every morning.

食後に熱い茶をもう一杯どうですか。

Would you like another cup of hot tea after the meal?

喫茶店で抹茶ラテを頼んだら、とても美味しかった。

I ordered a matcha latte at the café and it was very tasty.

2

The tea plant itself (Camellia sinensis).

Noun

Examples

この山では昔から茶を栽培している。

They have been cultivating tea on this mountain for a long time.

3

The preparation or making of tea — the act of brewing/whisking tea; can refer to tea ceremony practices.

Noun

Examples

茶の作法を習っているので、来週のお点前に参加する。

I'm learning tea ceremony etiquette, so I'll take part in next week's tea performance.

4

A color — brown. Often called 'chairo' (茶色), but sometimes abbreviated as 'cha' (茶).

NounAbbreviation

Examples

彼は茶のコートを着ていたので、すぐに見つけられた。

He was wearing a brown coat, so I found him quickly.

カラーパレットで『茶』を選んでください(茶=茶色)。

Please choose 'cha' on the color palette (cha = brown).

5

An archaic meaning: mockery or treating something lightly in a teasing way (largely obsolete; the sense survives in verbs like 茶化す).

NounNa-AdjectiveArchaic

Examples

古い文献には、相手を『茶』にする表現が見られるが、現代語では稀だ。

In old texts you can find expressions that 'make someone tea' (i.e., mock them), but this is rare in modern language.

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