Definition
沏 (qī) is the specific verb for steeping or brewing tea — it implies using hot water to extract flavor, often with care. Compare with 冲 (chōng), which is more casual and can also mean 'to rinse' or 'to brew coffee'; and 泡 (pào), which is a broader 'to soak' used for tea, noodles, or even to dawdle. 沏 is almost exclusively used for tea.
verb
to steep (tea)to brew (tea)
Easily confused
- 切qiēlook-aliketo cut, to slice
- 起qǐsound-alike(verb) to get up; to rise
- 气qìsound-alike(noun) air; gas
- 其qísound-alike(possessive pronoun: his, her, its, their (used before a noun)
- 七qīsound-alikeseven
- 骑qísound-aliketo ride (a horse, bike, or other vehicle one sits astride)
- 期qīsound-alike(classifier) for issues of a periodical (magazine, newspaper, etc.)
- 齐qísound-alike(adjective) neat, even, uniform
- 漆qīsound-alike(noun) paint, lacquer
Examples
- 沏。Wǒ měitiān zǎochen dōu qī yì bēi chá.I brew a cup of tea every morning.
- 。Yòng zhège cháhú qī chá wèidào tèbié hǎo.Using this teapot to brew tea tastes especially good.
- 沏，。Tā xǐhuan qī lǜchá, bù xǐhuan hóngchá.He likes to brew green tea, not black tea.
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