---
title: "Chinese Wedding Tea Ceremony: What to Say When You Serve Tea, With Pinyin and Audio"
description: "12 Chinese phrases for a wedding tea ceremony, like 爸，请喝茶。 (Dad, please have some tea.) and 妈，请喝茶。 (Mum, please have some tea.), each with pinyin over every word, the English and Play to hear it. Keep the words in one press."
canonical: "https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-phrases/tea-ceremony"
author: "Mandarin The Wild"
---

[Chinese phrases](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-phrases) · 12 phrases

# Chinese tea ceremony

Each with pinyin over every word, the English and sound.

[Print as flashcards](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-flashcards?level=mine&words=%E5%96%9D%E8%8C%B6%20%E8%AF%B7%20%E7%88%B7%E7%88%B7%20%E6%95%AC%E8%8C%B6%20%E5%85%BB%E8%82%B2%E4%B9%8B%E6%81%A9%20%E6%94%B9%E5%8F%A3%20%E4%B8%80%E5%91%98%20%E7%BA%A2%E5%8C%85%20%E6%97%A9%E7%94%9F%E8%B4%B5%E5%AD%90%20%E8%BF%87%E6%97%A5%E5%AD%90%20%E7%85%A7%E9%A1%BE%20%E5%B8%B8)

Speed

bà爸，qǐng请hēchá喝茶。

Dad, please have some tea.

mā妈，qǐng请hēchá喝茶。

Mum, please have some tea.

yéye爷爷，nǎinai奶奶，qǐng请hēchá喝茶。

Grandpa, Grandma, please have some tea.

wǒmen我们gěi给nín您jìngchá敬茶。

We serve you tea.

xièxie谢谢bàmā爸妈de的yǎngyù-zhī’ēn养育之恩。

Thank you, Mum and Dad, for raising me.

cóng从jīntiān今天qǐ起，wǒ我jiù就gǎikǒu改口jiào叫nín您mā妈le了。

From today, I’ll call you Mum.

huānyíng欢迎nǐ你chéngwéi成为wǒmen我们jiā家de的yīyuán一员。

Welcome to our family.

zhè这shì是gěi给nǐmen你们de的hóngbāo红包。

This red envelope is for you.

zhù祝nǐmen你们zǎoshēng-guìzǐ早生贵子！

May you soon have a baby!

yǐhòu以后yào要hǎohǎo好好guòrìzi过日子。

Make a good life together from now on.

nǐmen你们yào要hùxiāng互相zhàogù照顾。

Look after each other.

yǐhòu以后cháng常huíjiā回家kànkan看看。

Come home and see us often.

## More situations

## What happens at a Chinese tea ceremony?

At 敬茶 (jìngchá), serving tea, the bride and groom kneel or bow and offer tea to their parents and elders, the oldest first, holding the cup in both hands. Each elder drinks, says a blessing and gives a red envelope (红包, hóngbāo) or jewellery. Many families do the groom’s side first, then the bride’s, and younger relatives then serve the couple.

## What does the bride say when she serves tea?

She calls her new parents-in-law 爸 (bà) and 妈 (mā) for the first time, the moment called 改口 (gǎikǒu), changing what you call someone, and says 请喝茶 (qǐng hē chá), please have some tea. The parents often answer with a red envelope for it, the 改口 red envelope.

## What tea is served at a Chinese wedding?

Often a sweet tea with red dates and lotus seeds, 红枣 (hóngzǎo) and 莲子 (liánzǐ): 枣 (zǎo) sounds like 早, early, and 莲子 like 连子, children one after another, so the tea wishes the couple 早生贵子, a baby soon.

## How do I say them right?

Press Play and say each phrase with the voice, slow first, then at normal speed. Each word’s pinyin is above it, its tone marked.

## Can’t hear it?

Play uses your device’s Mandarin voice. Edge, Chrome and Safari have one; a browser with none plays each word in our recorded voice instead.

## More free tools

- [Chinese greetings](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-greetings)
- [Chinese idioms](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-idioms)
- [Chinese text to speech](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-text-to-speech)
- [Chinese dictionary](https://mandarinthewild.com/chinese-dictionary)
- [Tone practice](https://mandarinthewild.com/tone-practice)

Pinyin from our own reader.