水源

• Pinyin: shuǐ yuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 水 = water; 源 = 氵(water) + 原 (original, plain) — the original place from which water springs

Meaning

Water source; headwaters. The origin point of water, whether a spring, river source, reservoir, or underground aquifer that supplies a water system.

Critical in discussions of environmental protection, urban planning, and geopolitics. 水源地保护 (water source protection) and 饮用水水源 (drinking water source) are key policy terms. Also used metaphorically for the origin of support or funding.

Examples

1. 该城市的主要水源来自上游的一座大型水库。 The city’s main water supply comes from a large reservoir upstream.
2. 工厂排放的废水污染了当地的饮用水水源，引发居民强烈不满。 Wastewater discharged by the factory polluted the local drinking-water source, sparking strong anger among residents.
3. 政府将划定水源保护区，禁止在保护区内进行任何工业活动。 The government will designate a water-source protection zone and ban any industrial activity within it.

Usage Guide

Context: environment, urban planning, policy, geopolitics

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 保护上游的水源不受污染，是整个流域人民健康生活的根本保障。(Protecting upstream water sources from pollution is the fundamental guarantee for the healthy lives of people throughout the entire watershed.)
• 西藏高原是亚洲多条大河的水源发源地，其生态系统的健康至关重要。(The Tibetan Plateau is the water source headwaters of many of Asia's major rivers — the health of its ecosystem is critically important.)

Don't Say

• 水源 and 水资源 are related but distinct — 水源 is the specific origin point; 水资源 (water resources) refers to the total supply of usable water broadly

Origin & History

水 (water) + 源 (source, origin) — the origin point from which water flows

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal