我喜欢喝什么：咖啡、茶和水

What does 珍珠奶茶 (zhēnzhū nǎichá) mean in Chinese?

Bubble tea is called 珍珠奶茶 (zhēnzhū nǎichá) in Mandarin — “pearl milk tea.” The name comes from the round tapioca balls at the bottom, which look like little pearls. Bubble tea is generally traced to 1980s Taiwan, where those chewy 珍珠 gave the drink its name. 珍珠 (zhēnzhū) means pearl; 奶茶 (nǎichá) means milk tea.

The clip also reveals a cultural tension worth knowing: many older Chinese people consider 奶茶 a 饮料 (yǐnliào, “beverage”) rather than real 茶 (chá, “tea”) — “中国人觉得奶茶不是茶，奶茶是饮料.” So ordering 奶茶 in a traditional tea house might raise eyebrows. Note that 珍珠 on its own usually refers to the tapioca pearls (the topping); depending on context it can also serve as casual shorthand for the drink, though 珍珠奶茶 is the unambiguous full name.