开水

The Chinese word 开水 (kāishuǐ) literally means "open water" and refers to boiled water. It is a compound word consisting of two characters: 开 (kāi), meaning "to open" or "to boil," and 水 (shuǐ), meaning "water." The term 开水 is commonly used in Chinese to refer to hot water that has been boiled for drinking or cooking purposes. It is often used as a noun, but can also be used as a verb, as in the phrase 烧开水 (shāo kāishuǐ), which means "to boil water."The character 开 (kāi) has a rich history and can be traced back to the oracle bone script, an ancient form of Chinese writing that dates back to the Shang dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BCE). In the oracle bone script, the character 开 was depicted as a hand holding a key, symbolizing the act of opening. Over time, the character evolved and simplified into its current form.The character 水 (shuǐ) is one of the most basic and commonly used characters in Chinese. It has been used since the earliest forms of Chinese writing and represents the concept of water. The character 水 is often used in compound words to describe different types of water, such as 河水 (héshuǐ) for river water, 海水 (hǎishuǐ) for seawater, and 雨水 (yǔshuǐ) for rainwater.When combined, the characters 开 and 水 form the compound word 开水 (kāishuǐ), which specifically refers to boiled water. The term 开水 is widely used in Chinese households, restaurants, and public places to provide hot water for drinking, making tea, or cooking. It is an essential part of Chinese daily life and culture.