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noun HSK 1
shuǐ
water · liquid · river

Meaning

水 is one of the most fundamental Chinese characters, representing water in all its forms. It appears both as a standalone word and as a radical component in hundreds of other characters related to liquids, bodies of water, and wetness.

Usage

Used in everyday contexts for water as a substance, bodies of water like rivers, and metaphorically for liquid things. Can combine with other characters to form words related to water activities, water bodies, and liquids. Very common in both spoken and written Chinese.

Examples

  1. 01
    我想喝一杯水。
    Wǒ xiǎng hē yī bēi shuǐ.
    I want to drink a glass of water.
  2. 02
    这条河的水很清。
    Zhè tiáo hé de shuǐ hěn qīng.
    The water in this river is very clear.

Measure words

  • 杯bēi一杯水
  • 瓶píng一瓶水
  • 滴dī一滴水

Common collocations

  • 喝水
    hē shuǐ
    to drink water
  • 水果
    shuǐguǒ
    fruit
  • 开水
    kāishuǐ
    boiled water
  • 水平
    shuǐpíng
    level, standard

Antonyms

Origin

水 is a pictograph that originally depicted flowing water with a central stream and drops or tributaries on either side. In its radical form (氵), it appears on the left side of many characters related to water and liquids.

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