水
shuǐ/ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴/
The English word "water" can be translated into Chinese as 水 (shuǐ) or фи.
Meaning: inorganic compound H₂O (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 水 | shuǐ | /ʂu̯eɪ̯²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /ʂu̯əɻ²¹⁴/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Erhua, Sinological IPA, 水兒 / 水儿) |
|
| 水 | chúi | /t͡sui⁴²/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Zhangpu, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /t͡sui⁵⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Hui'an, Zhangpu, Philippines, Singapore, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
The word refers to the inorganic compound H₂O.
Is it said differently in some regions?
фи is used in the Dungan language, while 水 is the form used in Hokkien.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation for 水 is shuǐ.
Did you know?
- Some researchers believe the word for water in Chinese is a cognate of the Tibetan word ཆུ ('chu').
- When written as part of other characters, the concept of 'water' is often compressed into a specific three-stroke radical called 氵, known as the 'three dots water' radical.
- The character 水 is a pictogram, meaning its ancient form was a direct drawing of flowing water to represent the liquid itself.
Examples in context
- 水结成冰了。The water turned to ice.This sentence shows the state change of 水 from liquid to ice.Tatoeba #2241817 by sadhen, translation #270834 by CK
- 给我一杯水。Bring me a glass of water.This sentence demonstrates a request for a glass of 水.Tatoeba #4885833 by gumblex, translation #250148 by CK
- 这水不能喝。This water cannot be drunk.This sentence illustrates how to describe whether 水 is potable or not.Tatoeba #5550167 by verdastelo9604, translation #7768810 by sharris123
- 336 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Wei and Yuting are at a dining table.
- 伟 Wei雨婷，请给我一些水。Yǔtíng, qǐng gěi wǒ yīxiē shuǐ.Yuting, please give me some water.
- 雨婷 Yuting好的，你是要热水还是冷水？Hǎo de, nǐ shì yào rèshuǐ háishì lěngshuǐ?Okay, do you want hot water or cold water?
- 伟 Wei我要冷水，谢谢。Wǒ yào lěngshuǐ, xièxiè.I want cold water, thanks.
- 雨婷 Yuting给你，在这里。Gěi nǐ, zài zhèlǐ.Here you go, it's here.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “water” translations and entries 水, 水, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 水, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
