chai
chai — noun
- chaisingular
- chaisplural
1. A drink made by pouring hot water over dried leaves from the tea plant and letti
A drink made by pouring hot water over dried leaves from the tea plant and letting them soak for a few minutes before drinking.
Ryo asked for a cup of plain chai with no milk or sugar.
Shirin's grandmother starts every morning by brewing a pot of fresh chai.
The price of chai has risen this year because of bad weather on tea farms.
In Assam, chai is grown on large estates that stretch across the green hills.
- tea
the standard English word for the same drink; 'chai' is used mainly in Indian English and when emphasising the cultural origin
文法句型
chai + is
用法筆記
In English, this sense of 'chai' is used mainly in the context of South Asian tea culture. In most other settings, 'chai' refers to the spiced milk tea described in sense 2.
常見錯誤
2. A hot drink from South Asia, prepared by simmering black tea leaves in milk alon
A hot drink from South Asia, prepared by simmering black tea leaves in milk along with a sweetener and fragrant spices like cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon.
Ayana ordered a hot chai with extra cardamom at the café near her office.
collocation: hot chai with [spice]
Meera learned masala chai from her aunt, who boils it with milk and spices.
The new coffee shop downtown serves chai lattes topped with cinnamon and foam.
Hamza adds a pinch of black pepper to his chai for an extra warming taste.
- masala chai
the full Hindi name; used interchangeably with 'chai' in English, though it can emphasise the traditional spiced preparation method
文法句型
chai + is
用法筆記
This is the more common meaning of 'chai' in English. The drink is also called 'masala chai' to distinguish it from plain tea. In most English-speaking cafés, 'chai' alone refers to this spiced version.