Have some tea? メチャ(目茶)､ちゃちゃ(茶茶)､むちゃ(無茶)―some phrases using 茶(ちゃ).

茶摘み (tea picking): The tea harvesting season is early May.

Tea is thought to be brought to Japan via China in the 7th century. By the 13th, the tea trees had been widespread and became popular in Japan.

Green tea, black tea, and oolong tea are all made from the same tea but the production process is different.

Here you will know some set expressions which use 茶(ちゃ).

お茶会 (おちゃかい) : a tea ceremony

お茶(おちゃ)の子(こ)さいさい

It’s a piece of cake! or it’s easy as pie!

お茶(おちゃ)の子(こ) is a piece of cake or sweets served with tea. You can eat it easily in one bite because it’s usually a small piece of cake or sweets.

さいさい is an interjection or an interlude, meaning ‘easily’ in some song which might have been popular when the phrase was coined.

「仕事(しごと)をちょっと頼み(たのみ)過(す)ぎたかな？」

「全然(ぜんぜん)。お茶(おちゃ)の子(こ)さいさいだったよ。」

“Did I ask you too much of work?”

“Not at all. It was a piece of cake!”

お茶菓子 (おちゃがし) is usually beautifully made in shape and color.

「誰(だれ)もこの問題(もんだい)解け(とけ)ないんだ。」

「本当(ほんとう)？お茶(おちゃ)の子(こ)さいさいで解けた(とけた)けどね。」

“No one has ever figured this question out.”

“Really? It was a piece of cake to me.”

お茶(おちゃ)を濁す(にごす)

To evade or patch up something and make it look all right for the time being in an insincere way by saying or doing something irresponsibly, giving an evasive answer, etc.

This phase came from the tea ceremony. A man was invited to a tea ceremony but didn’t know the manner. To make believe he knows the way, he just mixed the tea and made it cloudy.

抹茶 (まっちゃ) is powdered green tea. It's very nutritious.

「その件(けん)について首相(しゅしょう)はお茶(おちゃ)を濁す(にごす)程度(ていど)の答弁(とうべん)をした。」

The prime minister gave an evasive answer on the issue.

「あの晩家(ばんいえ)にいなかったことについて、彼女(かのじょ)はお茶(おちゃ)を濁し(にごし)た。」

She was evasive about why she had not been at home that night.

お茶(ちゃ)を挽く(ひく)

It is used in a situation where business is dull, and you have plenty of idle time. It literally means to grind tea. When geisha girls or 芸者(げいしゃ) in a teahouse or prostitutes in a bordello were not requested and had waiting time, they were asked to grind tea for the customers.

「彼女(かのじょ)はすることがなくお茶(おちゃ)を挽い(ひい)ていた。」

She got bored having nothing to do.

お茶目 (おちゃめ) is a childish, funny gesture.

おちゃっぴい

A talkative and active girl. It’s from the sound of お茶(ちゃ)挽き(ひき)―おちゃひきおちゃっぴい. Such geishas or prostitutes as described above were often talkative and active.

「彼女(かのじょ)はおちゃっぴいな女(おんな)の子(こ)だ。」

She’s a talkative and active girl.

茶化す(ちゃかす)

To make fun of or tease someone who is speaking seriously. 茶(ちゃ)にする is also used. 化(か) in this phrase is what we call 当て字(あてじ), which is used only as a phonetic symbol and is not based on its meaning. For example, 墨西哥(メキシコ) is 当て字(あてじ) for Mexico.

お茶漬け (おちゃづけ): is a bowl of rice in hot tea or water. Salmon, Japanese plum, and cod roe are the most popular seasonings.

「人(ひと)がまじめに話して(はなして)いるのに茶化(ちゃか)すなよ。」

Don't start fooling around when I am talking seriously.

茶茶(ちゃちゃ)を入(い)れる

To interrupt (with frivolous remarks, silly jokes, etc.); to butt in; to make teasing remarks.

「プライベートな話(はなし)に茶茶(ちゃちゃ)を入れ(いれ)ないでくれ。」

I didn't ask you to butt in on my private business.

Green tea is called 緑茶 (りょくちゃ), the most popular tea in Japan.

「いつも冗談(じょうだん)ばかり言って(いって)茶茶(ちゃちゃ)を入れ(いれ)ないでくれませんか。」

Would you mind not interrupting with jokes all the time?

茶番(ちゃばん)

A farce; a play in which people pretend that something is true when it clearly is not.

The backstage attendants who served tea for the actors were called 茶番(ちゃばん). They often used to play ridiculous plays.

「彼ら(かれら)の結婚(けっこん)はとんだ茶番(ちゃばん)だった。彼ら(かれら)は愛し合って(あいしあって)などいなかったからだ。」

Their whole marriage had been a charade—they had never loved each other.

Nobody will want to have a charade of marriage.

無茶(むちゃ)

Unreasonable; reckless; ridiculous. 無茶 is 当て字(あてじ).

「そんな突然(とつぜん)の連絡(れんらく)で人(ひと)に来て(きて)もらおうというのは無茶(むちゃ)だろう。」

It would be unreasonable to expect somebody to come at such short notice.

「彼女(かのじょ)は乗馬(じょうば)がうまかったが、無茶(むちゃ)をした。」

She was a good rider, but reckless.

無茶苦茶(むちゃくちゃ)

The strong way of saying for 無茶(むちゃ). Both 無茶(むちゃ) and 苦茶(くちゃ) are 当て字(あてじ).

無茶苦茶 (むちゃくちゃ) 混んで (こんで) でいる列車 (れっしゃ): a terribly crowded train

「列車(れっしゃ)は無茶苦茶(むちゃくちゃ)に混み合って(こみあって)いた。」

The train was terribly crowded.

目茶(めちゃ)･滅茶(めちゃ)

Unreasonable, to a great degree. Both 目茶(めちゃ) and 滅茶(めちゃ) are 当て字(あてじ).

「目茶(めちゃ)を言(い)う。」

To say an unreasonable thing

「目茶(めちゃ)にたくさん本(ほん)を並べ(ならべ)たね。」

You lined too many books!

「これを時間(じかん)通り(どおり)に終わらせない(おわらせない)と、目茶(めちゃ)困る(こまる)ことになる。」

If I don't get this finished in time, I'll be in great trouble.

麦茶 (むぎちゃ) is made from barley, not from tea, but the word tea 茶 is used in it. It is also a very popular drink especially in summer.

目茶苦茶(めちゃくちゃ)･滅茶苦茶(めちゃくちゃ)

Being used to mean UNREASONABLE and TO A GREAT DEGREE, it’s the strong expression for 目茶(めちゃ)･滅茶(めちゃ).

「そんな目茶苦茶(めちゃくちゃ)な話(はなし)があるか。」

I’ve never heard such a ridiculous story.

It also means to destroy badly.

「計画(けいかく)が目茶苦茶(めちゃくちゃ)になった。」

The plan was badly destroyed.

滅茶滅茶 (めちゃめちゃ) きたない部屋 (へや)

目茶目茶(めちゃめちゃ)･滅茶滅茶(めちゃめちゃ)

In disorder; in a chaotic situation.

「部屋(へや)は目茶目茶(めちゃめちゃ)だった。」

The room was in a state of disorder.