In China, people typically drink hot water (热水 rè shuǐ) rather than cold water. If you ask for water at a restaurant, you'll likely get hot water unless you specify 冷水 (lěng shuǐ).
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The character 水 is a pictograph that originated from a drawing of flowing water. It's also the radical 氵(three dots of water) that appears in many water-related characters like 河 (river), 海 (sea), 洗 (wash).
