[Vocabulary] Fine tea

[englishhobby]

Is fine tea just very good quality tea or is it assosiated with very small tea leaves which is not too good?

 

[bhaisahab]

Is fine tea just very good quality tea or is it assosiated with very small tea leaves which is not too good?

Generally "fine tea" means good quality tea.

 

[Pangus]

Could be either. We need a context. Where did you see/hear it?

 

[englishhobby]

Could be either. We need a context. Where did you see/hear it?

I need to teach my students vocabulary and I want to show them the difference between the words fine and nice. Forming new word combinations helps understand some subtlties in the meaning of words better. I think, "nice tea" would mean perhaps that the tea box is beautiful or the tea in a cup is of very good colour and pleasant to look at, while fine tea is good quality tea.

I sometimes try to think the way native speakers do, but I often fail to. What about this time?

 

[Pangus]

I'll agree with Bhaisahab then.

I would say that 'nice' would be used in general conversation to say that the tea was pleasant or tasted good. 'Fine' would more likely be used for marketing to make the tea sound like a luxury good.

e.g. 'Let's get home and have a nice cup of tea'
e.g. 'The Fine Tea Company'

 

[MikeNewYork]

I need to teach my students vocabulary and I want to show them the difference between the words fine and nice. Forming new word combinations helps understand some subtlties in the meaning of words better. I think, "nice tea" would mean perhaps that the tea box is beautiful or the tea in a cup is of very good colour and pleasant to look at, while fine tea is good quality tea.

I sometimes try to think the way native speakers do, but I often fail to. What about this time?

I am far from an expert on tea, but it seems that "fine", when used with tea, can mean a superior tea or a fine cut tea. If that is the case, tea might be the wrong example for your lesson. You might want to consider an alternative such as jewelry or some other category.

 

[bhaisahab]

"Fine tea(s)" is commonly used to mean good quality tea. Here is one of many examples: Harney & Sons Fine Teas –Produce Quality Loose Leaf Teas

 

[Tdol]

It's also used with other foods- fine wines, etc.

 

[Tdol]

Is fine tea just very good quality tea or is it assosiated with very small tea leaves which is not too good?

Fannings and dusts are the terms for the smaller bits of tea, though these are not used in everyday conversation.

 

[englishhobby]

I'll agree with Bhaisahab then.

I would say that 'nice' would be used in general conversation to say that the tea was pleasant or tasted good. 'Fine' would more likely be used for marketing to make the tea sound like a luxury good.

e.g. 'Let's get home and have a nice cup of tea'
e.g. 'The Fine Tea Company'

That's the difference between fine and nice I need when talking about tea, thank you.)

 

[englishhobby]

I am far from an expert on tea, but it seems that "fine", when used with tea, can mean a superior tea or a fine cut tea. If that is the case, tea might be the wrong example for your lesson. You might want to consider an alternative such as jewelry or some other category.

Thank you, MikeNewYork. Tea was just one of many other examples I used to show the difference between fine and nice. Of course, I'll think of other examples, too, but I wanted to investigate this particular case with tea, perhaps not only for my students, but for myself. Now it's quite clear to me. The matter is that Russian students in most cases and myself (sometimes) can't feel the difference between fine and nice and each case is interesting to explain.