Meaning & use
Chinese hot chocolate
Last updated
Meanings
noununcountable
A warm chocolate drink made in a Chinese style, usually with spices, ginger, or tea added.
Grammar: Uncountable, so say some Chinese hot chocolate, not a Chinese hot chocolate, unless you mean one cup.
Patterns
- a cup of Chinese hot chocolate
- make Chinese hot chocolate
- Chinese hot chocolate with ginger
On cold evenings she makes Chinese hot chocolate with a pinch of five-spice.
The café lists Chinese hot chocolate next to its green tea lattes.
He ordered Chinese hot chocolate and a sesame bun for breakfast.
nouncountable
A serving of this drink, especially one bought in a café or sold in a packet.
Grammar: Countable when you mean one cup or one packet: two Chinese hot chocolates.
Patterns
- two Chinese hot chocolates
- order a Chinese hot chocolate
We ordered two Chinese hot chocolates and shared a plate of dumplings.
A Chinese hot chocolate to go, please.
Common combinations
- make Chinese hot chocolate
- She learned to make Chinese hot chocolate from her grandmother.
- a cup of Chinese hot chocolate
- A cup of Chinese hot chocolate warmed us up after the walk.
- Chinese hot chocolate powder
- The shop sells Chinese hot chocolate powder with star anise in it.
- hot chocolate with ginger
- Their hot chocolate with ginger tastes close to the Chinese version.
Synonyms and how they differ
- spiced hot chocolate
- A broader term for any hot chocolate with spices; use it when the spices are not specifically Chinese.
- hot cocoa
- The everyday American name for a plain warm chocolate drink, without the spiced or tea-based flavor.
Word family
- hot chocolate noun
- The basic warm chocolate drink that this term builds on.
- chocolate noun
- The sweet brown food made from cocoa that gives the drink its flavor.
Commonly confused: Chinese hot chocolate or hot cocoa?
Chinese hot chocolate vs hot cocoa
In the US, hot cocoa often means a thin drink made from cocoa powder, while hot chocolate can suggest a thicker drink made with real melted chocolate.
Practice
Which sentence uses the term correctly?
Choose one answer.
As a drink in general the term is uncountable, so 'Chinese hot chocolate' needs no article. Option 0 is possible only if you mean one cup, and option 1 wrongly puts a singular article with a plural noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Chinese hot chocolate”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.