香水
xiāngshuǐ
The English word 'perfume' is translated into Chinese as 香水 (xiāngshuǐ).
香水 is a noun referring to a substance that provides a pleasant smell. You can use it to compliment someone by saying 你身上的香水真好闻 (The perfume you are wearing smells really good), or to ask someone about their choice by asking 你用的是什么香水？ (What perfume are you using?). If you are in a shop and want to inquire about the availability of a specific type, you can say 这里有没有这种香水？ (Do you have this type of perfume here?).
Meaning: substance providing a pleasant smell (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of 香 (xiāng), meaning 'fragrant' or 'scented' and 水 (shuǐ), meaning 'water'.
Which one should you use?
While 香水 specifically refers to liquid perfume or cologne, the broader term 香 can be used to describe a pleasant scent or fragrance in general.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Cantonese-speaking regions of Southern China, the term 香水 is used for perfume.
How do you pronounce it?
xiāngshuǐ
Did you know?
- In some Chinese idioms, 香 is used metaphorically to describe something that has become popular or desirable, such as a person who was ignored but is now 'fragrant' and sought after.
- While 香水 refers to liquid scents, the word 香 is also used to describe the smell of burning incense. This links the concept of perfume to spiritual practices and ancestral worship in Chinese culture.
- The character 香 (xiāng) used in 香水 is also the surname for a number of people in China, though it is not a very common one.
Examples in context
- 你知道男孩子送女孩子香水代表什么吗？Do you know what it means for a man to give a woman perfume?This sentence is useful for discussing the meaning behind a man giving a woman perfume using 香水.Tatoeba #3060481 by trieuho, translation #3060482 by celeriac
- 我买了一瓶香水。I bought a bottle of perfume.
- 这是一种名贵的香水。This is an expensive perfume.
- 这瓶香水非常香。Zhè píng xiāngshuǐ fēicháng xiāng.This bottle of perfume smells very good.
- 我不喜欢这种香水味。Wǒ bù xǐhuān zhè zhǒng xiāngshuǐ wèi.I don't like this kind of perfume scent.
Example conversation
Two friends are shopping at a mall.
- 浩然 Haoran梓涵，你觉得这款香水怎么样？Zǐhán, nǐ juéde zhè kuǎn xiāngshuǐ zěnmeyàng?Zihan, what do you think of this perfume?
- 梓涵 Zihan我觉得味道太甜了。Wǒ juéde wèidào tài tián le.I think the scent is too sweet.
- 浩然 Haoran那我再看看别的。Nà wǒ zài kànkan bié de.Then I will look at some others.
- 梓涵 Zihan那边那款香水可能更适合你。Nàbiān nà kuǎn xiāngshuǐ kěnéng gèng shìhé nǐ.That perfume over there might suit you better.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “perfume” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
