noun HSK 4
Traditional 茶葉
chá
tea leaves · tea

Meaning

茶叶 refers to tea leaves, the dried leaves used to make tea. It's a common everyday term that can refer to loose tea leaves before brewing or to tea as a product category. The word combines 茶 (tea) and 叶 (leaf), making its meaning quite transparent.

Usage

This is a neutral, standard term used in everyday contexts when discussing tea as a product or ingredient. It's commonly used when shopping for tea, discussing tea quality, or talking about tea storage. Native speakers use this term whether referring to loose leaves or tea in general as a commodity.

Examples

  1. 01
    这些茶叶是从杭州买来的。
    Zhèxiē chá shì cóng Hángzhōu mǎi lái de.
    These tea leaves were bought from Hangzhou.
  2. 02
    好的茶叶需要用合适的水温来泡。
    Hǎo de chá xūyào yòng héshì de shuǐ wēn lái pào.
    Good tea leaves need to be brewed with the appropriate water temperature.

Characters

Measure words

  • 一盒茶叶
  • bāo一包茶叶
  • guàn一罐茶叶

Common collocations

  • 茶叶
    mǎi chá
    to buy tea leaves
  • 茶叶
    chá diàn
    tea shop
  • 新鲜茶叶
    xīn xiān chá
    fresh tea leaves
  • 茶叶
    chá guàn
    tea canister

Origin

The compound combines 茶 (tea), which depicts a plant with branches and leaves, with 叶 (leaf). The term directly describes what tea fundamentally is: the leaves of the tea plant.

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