汽水

• Pinyin: qì shuǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 汽 = 氵 (water) + 气 (steam) — water with gas/vapour; 水 = flowing water pictograph

Meaning

Soda; soft drink; fizzy drink. A carbonated, usually sweet non-alcoholic beverage.

A general term for carbonated soft drinks. Encompasses cola, lemonade, orange soda, and similar drinks. In mainland China, 汽水 is the traditional term, while 可乐 specifically means cola. Regional variation exists: Taiwan often uses 汽水, while some areas prefer 碳酸饮料 (carbonated beverage) in more formal contexts.

Examples

1. 天气太热了，我想喝一瓶冰汽水。 It's too hot — I want to drink a bottle of cold soda.
2. 医生说少喝汽水，对牙齿不好。 The doctor says to drink less soda — it's bad for your teeth.
3. 超市里有各种各样的汽水，你想喝哪种？ The supermarket has all kinds of soda — which one do you want?

Usage Guide

Context: food and drink, everyday, shopping

Tone: casual

Do Say

• 来一瓶汽水吧，我请客。(Let's have a bottle of soda — my treat.)
• 小孩子不应该喝太多汽水。(Children shouldn't drink too much soda.)

Don't Say

• 一杯热汽水 (Don't order hot soda — 汽水 is inherently a cold carbonated drink; heating it would remove the fizz and is not a real drink)

Origin & History

A compound of 汽 (steam/vapour) and 水 (water) — vapour water, referring to the carbonation that produces gas bubbles.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal