Chinese word

水

Pronunciation

Pinyinshuǐ

Meaning

  • nounwater

Example

我想喝一杯水。wǒ xiǎng hē yì bēi shuǐ

I want to drink a glass of water.

Illustration for 水 (water)

More examples

他把一瓶水放进背包里。tā bǎ yì píng shuǐ fàng jìn bēi bāo lǐ

He put a bottle of water in his backpack.

Core concept

A clear, flowing liquid that supports life and can soak, wash, or fill things.

Common phrases

  • 喝水hē shuǐ

    drink water

  • 一瓶水yì píng shuǐ

    a bottle of water

  • 热水rè shuǐ

    hot water

Similar words

自来水zì lái shuǐ: Water supplied through household pipes for everyday use.
海水hái shuǐ: Salt water found in the sea.
河水hé shuǐ: Flowing water found in a river.

Definition in Chinese

无色无味的液体，是生命维持所必需的物质，常用于饮用、烹饪和清洗等生活用途。wú sè wú wèi de yè tǐ shì shēng mìng wéi chí suǒ bì xū de wù zhì cháng yòng yú yǐn yòng pēng rèn hé qīng xǐ děng shēng huó yòng tú

Word origin

The ancient forms of 水 (shuǐ, "water") picture the branching lines of a flowing stream, and the modern character keeps that link to moving liquid.

Usage tips

  • English often says "some water," while Chinese commonly uses a measure word to show an amount, container, or serving.

Other meanings

  • drinking waternoun
  • moisturenoun

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word