三乙醇胺即“三(2-羟乙基)胺”，可以看做是三乙胺的三羟基取代物。与其他胺类化合物相似，由于氮原子上存在孤对电子，三乙醇胺具弱碱性，能够与无机酸或有机酸反应生成盐。

三乙醇胺可以由环氧乙烷和氨气反应制备；反应也有一些副产物（一乙醇胺和二乙醇胺）生成。可以通过改变反应物的比例来控制生成的产物得率。

Triethanolamine, often abbreviated as TEA, is a viscous organic compound that is both a tertiary amine and a triol. A triol is a molecule with three alcohol groups. Triethanolamine is a strong base. Triethanolamine can also be abbreviated as TEOA, which can help to distinguish it from triethylamine. Approximately 150,000 metric tons were produced in 1999. It is a colourless compound although samples may appear yellow because of impurities.