白开水

白開水
báikāishuǐ
noun #51,157

Measure Word

Meanings

  1. 1 plain boiled water
  2. 2 something bland or insipid

Examples

HSK 3
Wǒ bù hē yǐnliào, zhǐ hē báikāishuǐ.
I don't drink soft drinks, only plain boiled water.
HSK 4
Zhè bù diànyǐng xiàng báikāishuǐ yíyàng, kànwán shénme yě jìbuzhù.
This film is as bland as plain water; once it's over you can't remember a thing.

Tips

memory
白 here means plain, with nothing added, and 开水 is boiled water.
culture
Chinese homes and offices keep a kettle or thermos of boiled water ready all day, since tap water is rarely drunk unboiled. Served warm, 白开水 is the everyday drink.

Stroke Order

白 bái
开 kāi
水 shuǐ