お茶で飲む

[astaroth]

Hi everyone,
I was studying this dialog:
A: 息子に英語を教えていただけませんか。
B: 教えてあげたいんですけど、ちょっと時間が…
A: お茶でも飲みながらおしゃべりしていただけませんか。
The part I would like to ask about is in the last sentence (I added the rest for context).
My question is about the particle で used here. It actually took me a while to realize it was written でも instead of the を I was expecting.
Do they use で here because the tea is considered as a setting instead of just the beverage? Like in English the phrase "high tea"?
The も I guess is added for stress, so does it still make sense the sentence お茶で飲む？

Thanks in advance!

[Yudan Taiteki]

でも in this context means "or something like it" i.e. お茶でも = "Tea, or something like it". It's often used just for politeness without any actual meaning.

[keatonatron]

To add to what Chris said, でも replaces が、は、or を. You will have to rely on context to figure out which article was replaced (which obviously you can do, since you said you were expecting を!).

[astaroth]

でも in this context means "or something like it" i.e. お茶でも = "Tea, or something like it". It's often used just for politeness without any actual meaning.

To add to what Chris said, でも replaces が、は、or を. You will have to rely on context to figure out which article was replaced (which obviously you can do, since you said you were expecting を!).

Thank you both. I completely misunderstood that sentence!

[two_heads_talking]

でも in this context means "or something like it" i.e. お茶でも = "Tea, or something like it". It's often used just for politeness without any actual meaning.

In this case could this really be a case of Enryo? Where the speaker is suggesting that they can talk over tea but not putting the emphasis so much on which beverage is to be consumed, allowing the person being spoken to, a "way out" so to speak?

In other words, it seems similar to inviting someone over to your house .... uchi demo... but meaning, we could meet anywhere that is convenient for you? So the speaker is emphasizing the talking and no so much what is being consumed while they are talking..

[Yudan Taiteki]

Sounds like a good explanation to me.