tea
茶 centers on tea: the drink, the plant, and the culture around it.
茶 combines 艹 (grass/plant) with a simplified form that historically derives from 余, which likely contributed the sound. The character originally referred to the tea plant.
The top 艹 is the grass radical, suggesting a plant. The bottom looks like a person under a roof, perhaps preparing tea. Together, 茶 is the tea plant.
For チャ, imagine a steaming cup of tea: the sound of a satisfied 'cha' after a sip cues チャ.
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tea (esp. green or barley)
tea
absurd; unreasonable; nonsensical; preposterous; incoherent
black tea
absurd; unreasonable; ridiculous
brown; light brown; tawny
coffee shop; tearoom; coffee lounge; coffeehouse; cafe
tea drinking
matcha; powdered green tea
disorderly; messy; ruined
green tea; Japanese tea
teahouse; (Edo period) rest stop
farce; charade
rice bowl; tea cup; teacup
nonsensical; unreasonable; absurd; unrealistic
hair dyed brown; brown-dyed hair
barley tea
tea ceremony; Way of Tea; sadō
matter of no importance; commonly occurring thing; commonplace event; bread and butter item
(Japanese-style) living room