茶叶 cháyè tea
tea; tea leaves
How to remember 茶叶: 茶 tea + 叶 leaf = tea.
Characters
How it is used
- Refers to tea as a product - the dried leaves you buy and brew - rather than the beverage itself.
- 买茶叶 (mǎi cháyè) - to buy tea (leaves), as opposed to 喝茶 (hē chá) to drink tea.
- Bare 茶 (chá) is used more broadly for both the leaves and the drink; 茶叶 is specifically the physical leaves, sold in shops as 茶叶店.
- Common in gift-giving contexts - a box of 茶叶 is a classic present in China.