cha
/t͡ʃɑː/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 3.70 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
3
Letters
1
Syllables
3
Unique Chars
Meaning
pron
Pronunciation spelling of you, especially when preceded by a /t/ sound.
particle
Used to count out steps, particularly involving the hip-shaking sections of rhythmic Latin dances.
noun
Synonym of Korean foot: a traditional unit of length equivalent to about 30.3 cm.
name
Abbreviation of Charlotte: a city in North Carolina, United States.
name
Example Sentences
- "Would you like a cup of cha?"
- "[Krazy Kat, bringing a full tray:] Look, folkses – hot dogs, hot cha, hot peppa pots, hot timollies – hot kuffy. ^([sic])"
- "You mean you can't fly after you've had a few beers? You can drive, can't cha?"
- "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me?"
- "“You'll be ridin' with us, won't cha, Josh?”"
- "One–two–cha–cha–cha Three–four–cha–cha–cha"
Etymology
From Chinese 茶 (chá), from Proto-Sino-Tibetan *s-la, via two routes: in some cases from Hindustani चा (cā) / چا (cā) (a variant of the same root, from Persian چا, which led to chai), from Northern Chinese; in other cases from 茶 (chá) /t͡sʰɑː²¹/, the pronunciation found in Canton (Guangzhou), where the British bought much of their tea in the 19th century. Doublet of tea, which is from the Amoy Min Nan pronunciation tê.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: 茶, *s-la, چا, 자