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茶chá

Character evolution

茶

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Simplified · Today

Shuowen

Tea. The character combines 艹 (grass) above and 木 (tree) below, depicting a plant that grows tall like a tree; the middle element represents its leaves and buds. Originally written as 荼, which referred to a bitter edible plant, the middle stroke gradually simplified to denote the distinctive tea leaf, and the character came to specialize in meaning the tea plant and its beverage.

Pinyin

chá· HSK 1