飲水
jam2 seoi2
To say "drink water" in Cantonese, use 飲水 (jam2 seoi2).
飲水 is used generally for the act of consuming water, and it is also a common component in many compound words related to hydration or health.
What does it mean word for word?
飲水 is composed of the verb 飲 (jam2), meaning 'to drink' and the noun 水 (seoi2), meaning 'water'.
Which one should you use?
While 飲水 is the general term, you may use 飲開水 to informally refer to drinking plain water or 飲白開水 to specifically refer to drinking boiled water.
How do you pronounce it?
jam2 seoi2
Did you know?
- While 飲水 means 'drink water', the phrase 飲茶 (jam2 caa4) literally means 'drink tea' but actually refers to the entire cultural experience of 'yum cha', involving dim sum and long conversations.
- If you ask for 水 in a restaurant, you might be served hot water, as drinking cold water is often considered less healthy in traditional Cantonese culture.
- In some contexts, saying 飲水 can be part of the idiom 飲水不忘源, which means 'drinking water but not forgetting the source' to express gratitude.
Examples in context
- 飲水維持身體健康。Drinking water maintains good health.
- 熱天時就飲開水最好。It's best to drink plain water during hot weather.
- 飲白開水可以消暑。Drinking boiled water can help cool down in hot weather.
- 好熱，我想飲冷水。It's hot, I want to drink cold water.
- 佢啱啱喺度飲水。keoi5 ngaam1 ngaam1 hai2 dou6 jam2 seoi2.He just drank water here.
- 每日要記得飲水。mui5 jat6 jiu3 gei3 dak1 jam2 seoi2.Remember to drink water every day.
- 我唔想飲水。ngo5 m4 soeng2 jam2 seoi2.I don't want to drink water.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking after a workout.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit嘉欣，你係咪好渴？ga1 han1, nei5 hai6 mai6 hou2 haat3Ka Yan, are you very thirsty?
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan係，我想去飲水。hai6, ngo5 soeng2 heoi3 jam2 seoi2Yes, I want to go drink water.
- 俊傑 Chun Kit我都有水，你要嗎？ngo5 dou1 jau5 seoi2, nei5 jiu3 ma1I have water too, do you want some?
- 嘉欣 Ka Yan唔使啦，多謝俊傑。m4 sai2 laa1, do1 ze6 jun3 git3No need, thanks Chun Kit.
