About
The character "茶" for tea originated from the earlier character "荼", which initially denoted a bitter plant or vegetable, with its usage in some early texts extending to include the tea plant. As the practice of brewing tea leaves became culturally significant, a distinct written form was developed by removing one horizontal stroke from "荼", resulting in the dedicated character "茶" to specifically represent the beverage and its source. Structurally, both characters share the grass radical at the top, indicating their plant-based nature, but the simplified lower component in "茶" marked a deliberate semantic shift. This modification allowed "茶" to become the standardized symbol for tea over time, while "荼" retained its associations with other bitter herbs, illustrating a gradual specialization in meaning aligned with the item's growing importance.
Example Sentences Hide
我喜欢喝茶。
这是一杯绿茶。
中国茶很好喝。
妈妈每天泡茶。
这茶味道很香。
我去商店买茶叶。
如果累了，就喝杯茶吧。
喝茶不仅能提神，还有益健康。