红茶 (hóng chá) — black tea | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

Literally 'red tea', the Chinese name for what English calls black tea. Often ordered alongside 奶茶 (milk tea) at cafés.

noun

black tea

Measure word · 杯, 壶

Examples

红茶。
Zǎo shàng wǒ hē le yì bēi hóng chá.
I drank a cup of black tea in the morning.
红茶。
Mā ma xǐ huan hē rè hóng chá.
Mom likes to drink hot black tea.
，红茶。
Wǒ bù hē kā fēi, wǒ zhī hē hóng chá.
I don't drink coffee; I only drink black tea.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

红 describes the 茶, giving tea whose leaves or brew are reddish.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 紅; 红 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糸糸mìsilk

Sound part声符shēngfú

工

工gōng紅hóng

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 紅 puts 糸 (silk) next to 工, which gives the sound; the simplified 红 is a later shorthand.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

艹Written in full as艸cǎo

Sound part声符shēngfú

余

余yú茶chá

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 茶, the 艹 part marks a plant, and the 余 part gives the sound.

Appears in

HSK 3.0 Level 2 Beverages

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