‘Chábēi’ (茶杯) literally combines two characters: ‘chá’ (tea) and ‘bēi’ (cup or vessel for drinking). It refers specifically to a small cup designed for drinking tea — typically handleless, made of porcelain, ceramic, or glass, and often smaller than a regular drinking cup. Unlike general-purpose cups (e.g., ‘bēi zi’), ‘chábēi’ carries cultural connotations tied to Chinese tea culture, where shape, material, and size affect aroma, temperature, and tasting experience.

This word is used in everyday contexts — from home kitchens and teahouses to formal tea ceremonies. It’s a countable noun and commonly appears with measure words like ‘yī gè’ (one) or ‘jǐ gè’ (several). While ‘bēi’ alone can mean any cup, adding ‘chá’ specifies function and tradition, making ‘chábēi’ more precise and culturally grounded than generic terms.