zì lái shuǐ
tap water; running water
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我每天都喝自来水。
wǒ měitiān dōu hē zìláishuǐ.
I drink tap water every day.
自来水很干净，可以直接饮用。
zìláishuǐ hěn gānjìng, kěyǐ zhíjiē yǐnyòng.
Tap water is very clean and can be drunk directly.
自来水是生活必需品。
zìláishuǐ shì shēnghuó bìxūpǐn.
Tap water is a necessity of life.
自来水 (zì lái shuǐ)
tap water
自来水 (zì lái shuǐ)
running water
瓶装水 (píngzhuāng shuǐ)
bottled water
矿泉水 (kuàngquán shuǐ)
mineral water
The Chinese word 自来水 (zì lái shuǐ) for tap water is a compound of two characters. The first character 自 (zì) means "self" or "automatic", and the second character 来 (lái) means "come". The word 自来水 literally means "water that comes by itself", referring to the fact that tap water flows from a faucet without the need for manual pumping or fetching.The term 自来水 was first used in China in the late 19th century, when modern water supply systems were introduced to major cities. Before that, people relied on wells, rivers, or rainwater for their water needs. The convenience of tap water quickly made it the preferred source of water for households and businesses, and the term 自来水 became widely used.Today, 自来水 is the standard term for tap water in China and is used in both formal and informal settings. It is also used in other Chinese-speaking regions, such as Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.
