On Apr 11, 2:39 am, "Space Cowboy" wrote:
Thanks for the examples. I can use ChaYe to mean tea(leaves) if I'm
not talking about Cha the drink. I know you are really using the
disyllabic dictionary word ChaYe for tealeaves which is why I said
leaves is silent not in any Chinese sense but in Western meaning. I'm
still not sure if it is cha or chaye shangdian. I'm bookish enough to
know to answer the ma interrogatory with a simple mai.

Jim

I think I've said this twice already, but I'll say it again.

Cha can mean both the leaves and the drink. Chaye can only mean the
leaves and not the drink.

You can just say "Wo yao mai cha". People will know you want tea
leaves, because if you want to buy a cup of tea or whatever, you will
say it in a different way. Chaye is not required as an answer.

Actually, the proper answer, if it's positive, is to say "yao" or just
an "en", not "mai".

MarshalN
http://www.xanga.com/MarshalN