French · Food & Drink

"Tea" in French: thé

le thé

Say it: TAYmasculine · le thénoun/te/

Tea in French is le thé, masculine, said TAY. Un thé is a cup of tea. Thé vert, thé noir, and infusion cover green tea, black tea, and herbal tisane-style drinks.

Café order

Je vais prendre un thé au jasmin.
I'll have a jasmine tea.
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How to pronounce thé

Say it

TAY

/te/

TAY. The th is just t; there is no English th sound. Accent on é keeps a closed ay. Do not aspirate like English tea.

"Tea" in French: quick reference

FrenchEnglish
le thétea

The drink in general.

un théa tea

Ordering one serving.

thé vert / thé noirgreen tea / black tea

Common café choices.

une infusionherbal tea / tisane

Often not called thé if it is caffeine-free herbs.

How to use thé in real life

  1. 1Café order

    Je vais prendre un thé au jasmin.

    I'll have a jasmine tea.

    Un thé + flavour is a normal order.

  2. 2At home

    Tu veux du thé ou du café ?

    Do you want tea or coffee?

    Du thé for some tea.

  3. 3Feeling unwell

    Bois du thé bien chaud, ça aide.

    Drink some nice hot tea; it helps.

    Du thé with an adjective after.

Mistakes English speakers make with thé

Incorrect: La thé est prêt.

Correct: Le thé est prêt.

Thé is masculine: le thé, un thé.

Incorrect: Je bois du tea.

Correct: Je bois du thé.

Use thé, not English tea.

Good to know

French cafés serve tea, but coffee culture is stronger. Infusion or tisane is what many people drink after dinner when they do not want caffeine; they may still point at the thé menu.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Ordering after dinner

  1. ChatPal

    Tu prends un thé ?

    Are you having a tea?

  2. You

    Oui, un thé menthe, s'il te plaît.

    Yes, a mint tea, please.

  3. ChatPal

    Moi, je prends le même thé.

    I'll have the same tea.

  4. You

    Parfait, j'appelle le serveur.

    Perfect, I'll call the server.

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"Tea" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Tea" in French

How do I order tea?

Un thé, s'il vous plaît, optionally with the flavour: un thé vert.

Is thé masculine?

Yes: le thé.

What is an infusion?

Usually a herbal drink; not always labelled thé.

How do you pronounce thé?

TAY, like a closed French é, with a plain t.

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  4. Step 4: Use it in real scenarios

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