thé

tea

noun TEH Less Common

Origin: From Chinese (Amoy dialect) te, via Dutch thee.

Usage Note

Thé entered French via Dutch traders in the 17th century, ultimately from a southern Chinese word. Prendre le thé ('to have tea') is a set expression. Common types include thé vert (green tea) and thé noir (black tea). The idiom ce n'est pas ma tasse de thé ('it's not my cup of tea') mirrors the English figurative use.

Examples

"Je prends un thé chaque matin."

Natural Translation

I have a tea every morning.

Literal Translation

I take a tea each morning

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