水龙头

• Pinyin: shuǐ lóng tóu
• Hanzi breakdown: 水 = water; 龙 = dragon (mythical water creature); 头 = head — the dragon-head nozzle that dispenses water

Meaning

Tap; faucet. The valve fitted to a water pipe that controls the flow of water when turned.

A basic household item that appears frequently in discussions of water conservation (节约用水, 关紧水龙头). 水龙头 can also be used metaphorically: 关掉资金水龙头 means to cut off the flow of funds.

Examples

1. 洗手后请记得关紧水龙头，避免浪费水资源。 After washing your hands, please remember to turn off the faucet tightly to avoid wasting water.
2. 卫生间的水龙头一直在滴水，需要尽快维修。 The bathroom faucet has been dripping nonstop and needs to be fixed as soon as possible.
3. 政府决定关掉违规项目的资金水龙头，停止拨款。 The government decided to cut off funding for the illegal project and stop the disbursements.

Usage Guide

Context: household, water conservation, metaphor

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 节水从小事做起：刷牙时关掉水龙头，每次可以节省数升水。(Water conservation starts with small actions: turning off the tap while brushing teeth saves several litres each time.)
• 这家企业的融资渠道相当于被掐断了水龙头，资金链面临严峻考验。(The company's financing channels were essentially cut off at the tap, putting its cash flow under severe strain.)

Don't Say

• 龙头 alone can mean market leader (行业龙头) — always say 水龙头 in full when referring to a tap, to avoid ambiguity

Origin & History

水 (water) + 龙 (dragon) + 头 (head) — the dragon's head that releases water, a poetic image from traditional fire-fighting equipment

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal