Phrase guide

zi char

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Singapore: [ˌt͡s˭ɨ˨˦ ˈt͡ʃha˦˨]
  • Singapore: [ˌt͡s˭z̩˨˦ ˈt͡sha˦˨]
  • US: /tsə ˈtʃɑ/
  • US: /- ˈtʃɑɹ/

1

noun

Meaning 1

Affordable homestyle or restaurant-style Chinese dishes, from stalls commonly found in hawker centres and coffee shops.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Malaysia, Singapore, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Borrowed from Singaporean Hokkien 煮炒 (chír-chhá, literally “cook and fry”), with Pinyin-influenced spelling.