yerba mate

IPA/ˌjɜː.bə ˈmæt.eɪ/
IPA/ˌjɝː.bə ˈmɑː.teɪ/

yerba mate — noun

1. an evergreen shrub or small tree native to subtropical South America, grown for

1.名詞B1
釋義

an evergreen shrub or small tree native to subtropical South America, grown for its leaves which are dried and then steeped in hot water to make a traditional caffeine-rich drink called mate

例句

Feng planted several yerba mate trees near the river on his land in Paraguay.

Dried yerba mate leaves are crushed into a coarse powder before sale.

passive: are crushed for describing leaf processing

同義詞

用法筆記

The word yerba is Spanish for 'herb', and mate comes from the Quechua word for gourd.

常見錯誤

❌He grew yerba maté in his garden.
✅He grew yerba mate in his garden.
💡The accent on maté is a Spanish borrowing; English spelling drops the accent.
❌Yerba mate is a type of mint plant.
✅Yerba mate belongs to the holly family.
💡The plant is a species of holly (Ilex paraguariensis), not mint.

2. a traditional South American hot drink made by pouring hot water over dried and

2.名詞B1
釋義

a traditional South American hot drink made by pouring hot water over dried and crushed leaves of the yerba mate plant, usually served in a hollow gourd and drunk through a metal straw called a bombilla

例句

Ari poured hot water into a gourd of yerba mate and waited a few minutes.

preparation: pour hot water into gourd

Owen ordered a cup of yerba mate at the small café near the park.

同義詞
  • mate

    shorter, more common form in South America; can cause confusion with the British English word for friend

  • mate tea

    explanatory term used in English-speaking countries for clarity

  • yerba maté

    variant spelling with Spanish accent mark, sometimes seen in English text

用法筆記

In English, the full term yerba mate distinguishes the drink from the word mate meaning 'friend' in British English.

常見錯誤

❌I drank a yerba mate at the party.
✅I drank a cup of yerba mate at the party.
💡The uncountable noun needs a measure phrase like cup of or gourd of.
❌Mate is my favorite tea — I met him at work.
✅Yerba mate is my favorite tea.
💡Using mate alone can be confusing because it also means 'friend' in British English.