How to say “Water, please” in Chinese
“Water, please” in Chinese is 请给我水。, written in pinyin as Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ.
请给我水。
Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ.
Water, please.
Word by word
What each part of 请给我水。 actually means.
- 请qǐngplease
- 给gěito give
- 我wǒme
- 水shuǐwater
When you use it
- Say it once the order is in but no drinks have arrived — in most Chinese restaurants water is not poured automatically, it has to be asked for.
- It is also the phrase to fall back on when a shared pot of tea is going round the table and you would rather have plain water for yourself.
Use 请给我水。 in restaurant situations. Order food, ask for the bill, handle spice levels.
Other ways people say it
The same idea, said differently. Roughly in the order you'll hear them.
我要一杯水。
Wǒ yào yì bēi shuǐ
I'd like a glass of water.
一杯 is one glass; swap in 瓶 (bīng) for a bottle.
来一杯水。
Lái yì bēi shuǐ
A glass of water, please.
Using 来 as a request is very common at the table — short and still polite.
有热水吗？
Yǒu rè shuǐ ma?
Do you have hot water?
Asking for 热 on purpose is normal, because that is what most places serve.
What usually trips people up
- Do not expect cold water. What arrives is 热水 (hot) or 温水 (warm), and ordering 冰水 in winter can get you a genuinely puzzled look.
- 不要水 is a refusal, not a request. 我不要水 means "I don't want any water" — the verb you need here is 要 or 给.
- 水 on its own means drinking water rather than the bottled kind. For a sealed bottle ask for 矿泉水 (kuàngquánshuǐ), and for sparkling you will usually have to name a brand.
What you might hear back
- 好的，马上来。Hǎo de, mǎshàng láiSure, coming right up.
- 热的还是冰的？Rè de háishi bīng de?Hot or iced?
- 在那儿，自己拿。Zài nàr, zìjǐ náIt's over there, help yourself.
Common questions
- How do you say "Water, please" in Chinese?
- "Water, please" in Chinese is 请给我水。 — written in pinyin as Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ. It is a restaurant phrase you would use in China.
- What does 请给我水。 mean in Chinese?
- 请给我水。 (Qǐng gěi wǒ shuǐ) means "Water, please". Broken down word by word: 请 (qǐng) means "please"; 给 (gěi) means "to give"; 我 (wǒ) means "me"; 水 (shuǐ) means "water".
- When would you use "Water, please" in Chinese?
- Say it once the order is in but no drinks have arrived — in most Chinese restaurants water is not poured automatically, it has to be asked for. It is also the phrase to fall back on when a shared pot of tea is going round the table and you would rather have plain water for yourself.
Where you'll use it
请给我水。 comes up in these situations, in this order.
More Restaurant phrases
Learn all 25 Restaurant phrases
Start learning