水泥

• Pinyin: shuǐ ní
• Hanzi breakdown: 水 = water; 泥 = mud, clay — cement (activated by water)

Meaning

Cement. A binding material used in construction that hardens when mixed with water.

An essential construction material, often combined with 沙子 (sand) and 石子 (gravel) to make 混凝土 (concrete). Major types include 普通水泥 (ordinary cement) and 快干水泥 (quick-drying cement). Also used metaphorically: 水泥森林 (concrete jungle). Related: 水泥地 (cement floor), 水泥路 (cement road).

Examples

1. 工人们正在搅拌水泥准备浇筑地基。 Workers are mixing cement to pour the foundation.
2. 这条村里的土路终于铺上了水泥。 The dirt road in this village finally got paved with cement.
3. 水泥厂的环境污染问题引起了当地居民的不满。 Environmental pollution from the cement factory has caused dissatisfaction among local residents.

Usage Guide

Context: construction, industry, urban

Tone: technical

Do Say

• 水泥干了之后就很难拆除了。(Cement is hard to remove once it dries.)
• 这种水泥强度很高。(This type of cement has high strength.)

Don't Say

• 混凝土不等于水泥 (Concrete isn't the same as cement — 混凝土 includes cement plus sand and gravel)

Origin & History

Compound of 水 (water) + 泥 (mud, clay). Named because cement is activated by water and has a mud-like consistency when wet.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal