Tea in Different Languages
Discover 'Tea' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Tea is a beloved beverage enjoyed by people all around the world. Its significance extends far beyond quenching thirst, as it has played a vital role in various cultures throughout history. From the tranquil tea ceremonies of Japan to the bustling tea markets of Istanbul, this drink has a rich cultural heritage that is both fascinating and delicious.
Understanding the translation of tea in different languages can open up a world of cultural discovery. For instance, in Mandarin, tea is called 'chá,' while in Spanish, it's 'té.' In Russia, it's 'chai,' and in Hindi, it's 'chai.' These translations not only reflect linguistic diversity but also offer insights into the unique cultural significance of tea in different regions.
Moreover, tea has a storied history that is deeply intertwined with human civilization. Did you know that tea was first discovered in China over 4,000 years ago? Or that in the 17th century, tea was so valuable in Europe that it was often used as currency? These fascinating facts and more await those who delve into the world of tea.
Join us as we explore the translations of tea in various languages, from English to Zulu, and uncover the captivating stories behind this cherished drink.
Tea
Tea in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | tee | ||
| Afrikaans 'tee' is not related to English 'tea', but rather is probably derived from Malay 'teh'. | |||
| Amharic | ሻይ | ||
| The word 'ሻይ' in Amharic, which means 'tea', is derived from the Oromo word 'shaayi', which ultimately comes from the Chinese word 'chá'. | |||
| Hausa | shayi | ||
| "Shayi" derives from the Chinese "cha", possibly via its Malay and Swahili forms. | |||
| Igbo | tii | ||
| Tii in Igbo, beyond its meaning as "tea", has alternate usages like "to wash" or "to clean". | |||
| Malagasy | dite | ||
| The word "dite" also means "conversation" in Malagasy, possibly referencing the social aspect of tea consumption. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | tiyi | ||
| The word "tiyi" has alternate meanings including "a thin porridge" and "a beverage made from millet or sorghum." | |||
| Shona | tii | ||
| The word "tii" is used in Shona to refer to both "tea" and "tree bark." | |||
| Somali | shaah | ||
| In Somali, "shaah" can also be translated to "a drink" or "a beverage." | |||
| Sesotho | tee | ||
| The word " tee " is borrowed from English, and in addition to meaning "tea", can also refer to a kind of small, round cake. | |||
| Swahili | chai | ||
| In Swahili, 'chai' can also be used to refer to a specific type of herbal tea made from black tea and spices. | |||
| Xhosa | iti | ||
| The word 'iti' in Xhosa also refers to a type of wild spinach. | |||
| Yoruba | tii | ||
| In Yoruba 'tii' also means to be sufficient. | |||
| Zulu | itiye | ||
| Derived from Chinese 'chaye', 'itiye' also means 'tree with bitter leaves'. | |||
| Bambara | te | ||
| Ewe | tii | ||
| Kinyarwanda | icyayi | ||
| Lingala | the | ||
| Luganda | caayi | ||
| Sepedi | teye | ||
| Twi (Akan) | tii | ||
Tea in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شاي | ||
| "شاي" is not just a beverage in Arabic, but also a measure of weight used in the spice trade. | |||
| Hebrew | תה | ||
| In addition to meaning "tea", תה also denotes "dew" or "divine light" in biblical Hebrew. | |||
| Pashto | چاى | ||
| While "چاى" means "tea" in Pashto, it also means "water" in some dialects. | |||
| Arabic | شاي | ||
| "شاي" is not just a beverage in Arabic, but also a measure of weight used in the spice trade. | |||
Tea in Western European Languages
| Albanian | çaj | ||
| The word "çaj" (tea) derives from the Chinese "cha" via Turkish "çay." | |||
| Basque | tea | ||
| The word "tea" in Basque also refers to a kind of broth, especially that made from fish or meat and cooked in a pan. | |||
| Catalan | te | ||
| In Catalan, "te" can be a masculine or feminine noun referring to fabrics, or a masculine noun referring to a place to keep animals. | |||
| Croatian | čaj | ||
| The word "čaj" in Croatian can also refer to any type of non-alcoholic drink, such as juice or coffee, especially when consumed for medicinal purposes. | |||
| Danish | te | ||
| In Danish "te" is not only used for the common tea infusion, it is also the word used for decoctions made from various herbs such as peppermint tea (pebermyntete). | |||
| Dutch | thee | ||
| In Dutch, "thee" can also refer to a kind of fabric or a bundle of yarn. | |||
| English | tea | ||
| Tea originated from the Chinese word 'cha' and arrived in English via Dutch 'thee'. | |||
| French | thé | ||
| The French word "thé" stems from the Min Nan Chinese "te". | |||
| Frisian | tee | ||
| The word "tee" in Frisian can also mean "herb". | |||
| Galician | té | ||
| In Galician, "té" also means "you" (informal second person singular pronoun). | |||
| German | tee | ||
| In German, 'Tee' also refers to a T-shirt, while in English 'T' is commonly used to abbreviate 'teaspoon'. | |||
| Icelandic | te | ||
| In Old Norse, **te** meant "a meal". | |||
| Irish | tae | ||
| "Tà" also means "plague, disease, pestilence" in Irish, and was used in the names of several illnesses (like "táin bó cúailnge", meaning "the cattle disease of Cooley") and the goddess Aoibhinn, who personified the plague. | |||
| Italian | tè | ||
| "Tè" derives from the Hokkien Chinese word "te" and was originally used to refer to any infused beverage, not just tea. | |||
| Luxembourgish | téi | ||
| The word "Téi" is also used to refer to a "herbal infusion", or tisane. | |||
| Maltese | te | ||
| The word "te" in Maltese is likely derived from the Chinese "cha" and can also refer to herbal teas such as chamomile or anise. | |||
| Norwegian | te | ||
| The word "te" in Norwegian can also mean "a sip" when used as a noun. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | chá | ||
| In Portuguese, the word "chá" can also refer to a specific type of herbal tea made from the leaves of the orange tree. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | tì | ||
| The Gaelic word "tì" can also refer to a cup of tea or an infusion. | |||
| Spanish | té | ||
| "Té" comes from Chinese "cha" via Portuguese "chá" and its meaning has also expanded to "herbal tea". | |||
| Swedish | te | ||
| The word "te" derives from the Hokkien Chinese word "tê", meaning bitter liquid. | |||
| Welsh | te | ||
| The Welsh word "te" is cognate with the English word "tea," but its origin lies in the Chinese "chá" (茶) meaning "leaf." | |||
Tea in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | гарбату | ||
| The Belarusian word "гарбату" comes from the Persian word "gorbāt", which means "flower" or "herb". | |||
| Bosnian | čaj | ||
| The word "čaj" can also mean "a treat" or "a reception" in Bosnian. | |||
| Bulgarian | чай | ||
| The word "чай" is also used in Bulgarian to refer to infusions of herbs or berries, and is cognate to the Persian word for "tea". | |||
| Czech | čaj | ||
| In Czech, "čaj" can also refer to a generic herb or herbal infusion, not just specifically tea leaves. | |||
| Estonian | tee | ||
| In Estonian, the word "tee" can also refer to a road or path. | |||
| Finnish | teetä | ||
| Its origin is the Minnan Chinese word "tê" (IPA: tʰe) with the same meaning, which originated from the Hokkien "the", the Cantonese "cha" and the Japanese "cha" (茶). | |||
| Hungarian | tea | ||
| Té is the Hungarian word for "tea", but it can also mean "mood" or "mind" in a figurative sense. | |||
| Latvian | tēja | ||
| The word "tēja" is of Chinese origin, ultimately deriving from Hokkien-language "te". | |||
| Lithuanian | arbata | ||
| The word "arbata" in Lithuanian is derived from the Persian word "herbata" and originally referred to herbal tea. | |||
| Macedonian | чај | ||
| The Macedonian word "чај" can also refer to the wildflower species "Salvia glutinosa." | |||
| Polish | herbata | ||
| In Polish, 'herbata' is thought to derive from the Chinese word 'cha', meaning 'young leaves of the tea plant', which was brought to Europe by the Dutch in the 17th century. | |||
| Romanian | ceai | ||
| Ceai derives from the Chinese phrase "cha ye," meaning "leaf of the tea plant," and has multiple meanings in Romanian, including tea, infusion, and medicinal beverage. | |||
| Russian | чай | ||
| The word 'чай' ('tea') in Russian is derived from the Chinese word 'chá' meaning 'young leaf', and also refers to the plant species Camellia sinensis. | |||
| Serbian | чај | ||
| The word "чај" can also refer to a traditional Serbian herbal drink made from a variety of flowers, herbs, and spices. | |||
| Slovak | čaj | ||
| The Slovak word "čaj" also refers to a specific type of herbal tea made from linden blossoms, known as "lipový čaj." | |||
| Slovenian | čaj | ||
| The word “čaj” has other meanings in Slovenian, namely “a plant growing in water or marshes or a drink made from such a plant.” | |||
| Ukrainian | чай | ||
| "Чай" may also mean "drink" in general or "liquor" in Ukrainian. | |||
Tea in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | চা | ||
| "চা" is a common term in West Bengal, India and Bangladesh, derived from the Chinese word "cha". | |||
| Gujarati | ચા | ||
| "ચા" is also a Gujarati word for "to be". This is probably because the sound of the word "ચા" is similar to the sound of the word "to be" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | चाय | ||
| "चाय" also derives from Sanskrit "त्रायते," and literally means "a drink that protects" or "that saves" due to its perceived beneficial health effects. | |||
| Kannada | ಚಹಾ | ||
| The Kannada word "ಚಹಾ" (tea), which comes from the Persian "چای" (chây) and the Chinese "荼" (tú) (herbal drink), also has an alternate meaning: "a type of tree", referring to the "teak" tree in specific (Tectona grandis). | |||
| Malayalam | ചായ | ||
| In Malayalam, "ചായ" (tea) is also used to refer to a type of medicinal tree whose leaves are used to make herbal tea. | |||
| Marathi | चहा | ||
| The Marathi word "चहा" (tea) derives from the Chinese "cha" meaning "young leaves", which likely entered Marathi via the Portuguese "chá". | |||
| Nepali | चिया | ||
| The Nepali word "चिया" also refers to a type of herbal tea made from the leaves of the Himalayan nettle plant. | |||
| Punjabi | ਚਾਹ | ||
| The word | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තේ | ||
| Sinhala word "තේ" also refers to the tea plantation | |||
| Tamil | தேநீர் | ||
| The word | |||
| Telugu | టీ | ||
| The word "టీ" (tea) is derived from the Chinese word "荼" (tú), which refers to a bitter herb used in traditional Chinese medicine. | |||
| Urdu | چائے | ||
| چائے originated in Persian and is related to Chinese "chá", which in turn came from Yue Chinese "tê". | |||
Tea in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 茶 | ||
| "茶" is the original name for a camellia cultivar used for tea and has been extended to mean all plants in the genus _camellia_ in Chinese. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 茶 | ||
| The character '茶' (tea) is derived from the pictogram of a tea plant and a hand, suggesting its early use as a beverage. | |||
| Japanese | お茶 | ||
| The word 「お茶」 (tea) can also refer to an informal gathering where people enjoy tea and sweets. | |||
| Korean | 차 | ||
| The Korean word '차' (tea) also refers to a meal or food, as in the expression '차 먹다' (to eat). | |||
| Mongolian | цай | ||
| In Mongolian, the word "цай" ("tea") also refers to other beverages like alcohol and milk-based drinks. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လက်ဖက်ရည် | ||
Tea in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | teh | ||
| Teh comes from the Hokkien Chinese word "te", an alternative pronunciation of "cha". | |||
| Javanese | teh | ||
| In Javanese, the word "teh" can also refer to a type of herbal tea made from leaves other than those of the tea plant. | |||
| Khmer | តែ | ||
| The Khmer word "តែ" (tea) also means "only" and is used to indicate exclusivity or limitation. | |||
| Lao | ຊາ | ||
| In the dialect of some Lao ethnic groups, "ຊາ" can also refer to plants in the Citrus genus, such as oranges and grapefruits. | |||
| Malay | teh | ||
| The word "teh" in Malay also refers to the bitter liquid extract of the coffee bean. | |||
| Thai | ชา | ||
| The word "ชา" likely derives from the Chinese word "茶" (chá), but it can also mean "leaf" or "herb" in Thai. | |||
| Vietnamese | trà | ||
| In China, "tra" originally meant a medicinal brew of herbs but evolved to describe infusions of leaves; in Vietnam, it was shortened to "trà." | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tsaa | ||
Tea in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | çay | ||
| In some dialects, the Azerbaijani word "çay" can refer to a decoction of herbs, fruits, or flowers that is not actual black, green, or herbal tea. | |||
| Kazakh | шай | ||
| The Kazakh word "шай" is derived from the Chinese word "cha" and also refers to herbal infusions made without tea leaves. | |||
| Kyrgyz | чай | ||
| In Kyrgyz, the word "чай" can also mean "infusion" or "drink made from boiled water with added ingredients." | |||
| Tajik | чой | ||
| The word "чой" comes from the Chinese word "茶" (chá), and also refers to a type of green tea that is popular in Tajikistan. | |||
| Turkmen | çaý | ||
| Uzbek | choy | ||
| The word "choy" in Uzbek, meaning "tea," is derived from the Chinese word "cha" through the Middle Persian "chāy". | |||
| Uyghur | چاي | ||
Tea in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | tī | ||
| Tī is also used as a general term for medicines prepared from plants, roots, and barks. | |||
| Maori | tī | ||
| The word "tī" in Māori originally referred to the cabbage tree, whose leaves were brewed to make a drink similar to tea. | |||
| Samoan | ti | ||
| Ti also refers to the hibiscus plant and its medicinal purposes in Samoan tradition | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | tsaa | ||
| "Tsaa" (tea) is derived from the Hokkien word "te", which in turn comes from the Min Chinese word "cha". | |||
Tea in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | tiyi | ||
| Guarani | kojói | ||
Tea in International Languages
| Esperanto | teo | ||
| The word "teo" also refers to the plant Camellia sinensis in Esperanto. | |||
| Latin | tea | ||
| In Latin, “tea” can also mean 'a torch', 'a brand', or 'a firebrand'. | |||
Tea in Others Languages
| Greek | τσάι | ||
| The Greek word "τσάι" can also refer to any herbal tea, such as chamomile or mint. | |||
| Hmong | tshuaj yej | ||
| In Hmong, the word "tshuaj yej" literally translates to "bitter medicine," reflecting its medicinal history as a traditional herbal drink. | |||
| Kurdish | çay | ||
| çay (چای) can also mean 'herb, herbal tea, decoction' in Kurdish, and is related to the Chinese 格英 ('chá'). | |||
| Turkish | çay | ||
| "Çay" in Turkish came to refer to Camellia sinensis teas via the Chinese "cha". It also refers to various herbal infusions. | |||
| Xhosa | iti | ||
| The word 'iti' in Xhosa also refers to a type of wild spinach. | |||
| Yiddish | טיי | ||
| טיי (tea in Yiddish) is an abbreviation of the Chinese word "茶" (chá) and the Russian word "чай" (chay) | |||
| Zulu | itiye | ||
| Derived from Chinese 'chaye', 'itiye' also means 'tree with bitter leaves'. | |||
| Assamese | চাহ | ||
| Aymara | tiyi | ||
| Bhojpuri | चाय | ||
| Dhivehi | ސައި | ||
| Dogri | चाह् | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | tsaa | ||
| Guarani | kojói | ||
| Ilocano | tsaa | ||
| Krio | ti | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | چا | ||
| Maithili | चाय | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯆꯥ | ||
| Mizo | thingpui | ||
| Oromo | shaayee | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଚା | ||
| Quechua | te | ||
| Sanskrit | चाय | ||
| Tatar | чәй | ||
| Tigrinya | ሻሂ | ||
| Tsonga | tiya | ||