A hot or cold drink usually prepared with water and plant parts such as tea leaves or herbs.
Natural examples
Zum Frühstück trinkt meine Mutter schwarzen Tee.
My mother drinks black tea at breakfast.
Möchtest du deinen Tee mit Zucker oder ohne Zucker?
Would you like your tea with or without sugar?
Im Café bestellen wir zwei Tees und ein Stück Kuchen.
At the café, we order two teas and a slice of cake.
Usage note
Tee is often used without an article for the drink in general. Articles and numbers can be used for a specific serving or variety, for example der Tee or zwei Tees.
Useful combinations
Common mistake
Ich trinke einen Tee jeden Morgen.
Ich trinke jeden Morgen Tee.
When tea is meant as a drink in general, German often uses no article.
Mini-lesson: Der Tee: the drink and its plural
Tee is masculine: der Tee. People often say Tee trinken without an article when speaking generally. The plural Tees is mainly used for different varieties or several servings, for example zwei Tees.
Check your learning
Choose one answer.Which form sounds natural when referring to the drink in general?