茶: the kanji for tea
茶 is a JLPT N4 kanji that means tea. Below are its readings, 11 common words and example sentences, all with audio.
Stroke order
茶 is written in 9 strokes. The red stroke is the one to write next, and the dot shows where it starts.
Words by reading
茶 has 2 readings in the official Jōyō Kanji Table. Below are 11 common words grouped by reading. Tap ▶ to hear each word (audio plays with a free account).
チャ (cha)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| お茶おちゃ · ocha | tea |
| 茶色ちゃいろ · chairo | brown |
| 緑茶りょくちゃ · ryokucha | green tea |
| 紅茶こうちゃ · kōcha | black tea |
| 麦茶むぎちゃ · mugicha | barley tea |
| 抹茶まっちゃ · matcha | matcha |
| 茶わんちゃわん · chawan | rice bowl; tea bowl |
| お茶漬けおちゃづけ · ochazuke | rice with tea poured over it |
サ (sa)
On reading.
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 喫茶店きっさてん · kissaten | coffee shop |
| 茶道さどう · sadō | tea ceremony |
| 茶菓さか · saka | tea and sweets |
Example sentences for work and daily life
- お茶をどうぞ。O-cha o dōzo.Please have some tea.
- 会議の前にお茶を用意しておきます。Kaigi no mae ni o-cha o yōi shite okimasu.I'll have tea ready before the meeting.
- 京都で茶道を体験しました。Kyōto de sadō o taiken shimashita.I tried a tea ceremony in Kyoto.
- 夏は冷たい麦茶を飲みます。Natsu wa tsumetai mugicha o nomimasu.In summer, I drink cold barley tea.
- 茶色のかばんを持っています。Chairo no kaban o motte imasu.I have a brown bag.
- 駅の近くの喫茶店で待っています。Eki no chikaku no kissaten de matte imasu.I'm waiting at a coffee shop near the station.
Questions about 茶
How many strokes does 茶 have?
茶 is written in 9 strokes. The stroke order is shown at the top of this page.
What are the readings of 茶?
The on readings are cha (チャ), sa (サ). 茶 has no kun reading in the Jōyō Kanji Table.
Is it rude to refuse tea at a Japanese office?
No, but it is polite to accept and take at least a sip. When the tea is served, say ありがとうございます or いただきます (itadakimasu).
What JLPT level is 茶?
N4. The JLPT does not publish official kanji lists, so this level is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used through 2009.
About the JLPT level
The JLPT does not publish official lists of kanji for each level. The level on this page is a guide based on the official Test Content Specifications used for the test through 2009. The JLPT states that the current N4 is designed to match the former Level 3.
More JLPT N4 kanji
Food, animals and nature
Executive Japanese by CCN is one-on-one online Japanese for managers and directors doing business in Japan.
Sources
- Jōyō Kanji Table (常用漢字表), Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, 2010: readings and special readings of 茶
- JLPT Frequently Asked Questions, The Japan Foundation and Japan Educational Exchanges and Services: how current levels match the former levels
- Stroke order diagrams are based on KanjiVG by Ulrich Apel, used under CC BY-SA 3.0. The diagrams on this page are shared under the same license.