black tea

Literal meaning

red tea

Definition#

Fully oxidised tea: the leaf is withered, rolled or cut to break cells, left to oxidise until coppery, then dried. Chinese names it after the red liquor, while Western trade calls it 'black tea' after the dark leaf; examples are Keemun, Dianhong and Lapsang Souchong.

Translation and usage#

Language	Use	Alternatives & cautions
English	black tea Chinese hongcha ('red tea') translation	Also acceptable hongcha red tea (with explanation) Avoid red tea (unqualified) in English usually means rooibos
Deutsch	Schwarztee chinesisch Hongcha, 'roter Tee' translation	Also acceptable schwarzer Tee Hongcha Avoid roter Tee (unerklärt) im Deutschen meist Rooibos oder Früchtetee
Русский	красный чай в западной терминологии «чёрный чай»; кит. хунча calque	Also acceptable хунча хун ча Avoid чёрный чай (в китайском контексте без пояснения) в российском чайном сообществе «чёрный чай» = хэйча (黑茶); создаёт путаницу
简体字	红茶
繁體字	紅茶
日本語	紅茶

Common confusions#

黑茶 dark tea
Russian community: красный = 红茶, чёрный = 黑茶; mass market: чёрный = 红茶
Older Fujian usage calls the oxidation step 渥红 (wòhóng; traditional 渥紅), named in the Tanyang Gongfu heritage entry; Babelcarp glosses it as piled enzymatic oxidation. It should not be confused with 渥堆.