饮用水

• Pinyin: yǐn yòng shuǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 饮 = 食 + 欠 (to drink); 用 = vessel with contents (for use, to employ); 水 = flowing water pictograph

Meaning

Drinking water; potable water. Water that meets quality standards safe for human consumption.

Technical and policy term distinguishing water safe for consumption from water used for other purposes (灌溉水 irrigation water, 工业用水 industrial water). Key in environmental policy, public health, and infrastructure planning. Common collocations: 饮用水标准 (drinking water standards), 饮用水安全 (drinking water safety), 饮用水水源 (drinking water source).

Examples

1. 最新瓶装饮用水国标提高了微塑料、重金属和微生物指标要求，企业须在过渡期内完成工艺调整。 The latest national standard for bottled drinking water has raised requirements for microplastics, heavy metals, and microbes, and companies must finish process adjustments during the transition period.
2. 全国调查显示，约7%的农村人口仍喝不到达标饮用水，城乡卫生设施差距依然明显。 A national survey shows that about 7% of rural residents still cannot get drinking water that meets standards, and the gap in sanitation facilities between urban and rural areas remains obvious.
3. 园区规划时应划定饮用水保护区，禁止核心区内任何污染生产，并建立水质监测预警机制。 When planning the industrial park, a drinking water protection zone should be designated, any polluting production should be banned in the core area, and water quality monitoring and early warning should be established.

Usage Guide

Context: policy, health, environment, infrastructure

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 环保部门检查该厂废水，重点核查其是否向附近河道排放超标重金属污染物，该河道还是下游城市的饮用水源。(The environmental protection department inspected the factory's wastewater, focusing on whether it illegally discharged heavy metal pollutants above the limit into the nearby river, which is also a drinking water source for the downstream city.)
• 灾后重建中，援助组织先铺设饮用水管道，并部署日处理五千吨原水的净水设备，保障社区持续获得安全饮用水。(During post-disaster reconstruction, the aid organization first laid drinking water pipelines and deployed water purification equipment that can treat five thousand tons of raw water a day, ensuring the community continues to receive safe drinking water.)

Don't Say

• 我喝了饮用水在那里 — 饮用水 is a noun compound; the sentence structure here is awkward; restructure as 我在那里喝了饮用水 or simply 我喝了一瓶饮用水

Origin & History

饮用 (for drinking — 饮: to drink + 用: for use) + 水 (water); literally 'water for the purpose of drinking' — a modern compound formed from classical elements to denote potable water

Cultural Context

Era: Modern

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal