水 shuǐ — water

Pinyin

• shuǐ (third tone, dipping)

water

Character breakdown

• 水shape partA single pictograph: a current with spray on either side.

Mnemonic

One hooked stroke down the middle for the current, and a stroke flying off each bank for the spray. Pressed into a character the picture keeps nothing but three droplets, 氵, so the water in 水, in 汉语 and in 洗手 is the same water. Order matters: the hook first, then left, then right.

A memory aid written by HSK Guide editors. It is not an etymology and does not describe the historical origin of the character.

Words containing 水

• 水shuǐ (third tone, dipping)water
• 水平shuǐpíng (third tone, dipping)level, standard, proficiency
• 水果shuǐguǒ (third tone, dipping)fruit

Radical 水 — other characters

• 海hǎi (third tone, dipping)sea, ocean; a great quantity of something
• 河hé (second tone, rising)a river; (originally, with a capital) the Yellow River
• 洗xǐ (third tone, dipping)to wash, to bathe; to rinse away; to develop (photographs)