Hello hello! I’m back from summer break, and we’re ready to head into fall with a new set of lessons.
If you’ve ever taken a trip to China, particularly in winter, you’ve surely been offered a cup of boiled water, without any tea or flavoring, a practice that strikes many travelers as perhaps a bit unusual. And, if you ask for cold water or ice water, you may get some disapproving looks. Today’s post asks the perennial question: Why do Chinese people drink hot water?
Key vocab
热水 – rè shuǐ – hot water
感冒 – gǎn mào – to catch a cold
肚子疼 – dù zi téng – stomachache
明白 – míng bai – to understand
身体 – shēn tǐ – body
干净 – gān jìng – clean
生病 – shēng bìng – to get sick
舒服 – shū fu – comfortable
以前 – yǐ qián – before; in the past
外国人 – wài guó rén – foreigner
感冒 – gǎn mào – to catch a cold
肚子疼 – dù zi téng – stomachache
明白 – míng bai – to understand
身体 – shēn tǐ – body
干净 – gān jìng – clean
生病 – shēng bìng – to get sick
舒服 – shū fu – comfortable
以前 – yǐ qián – before; in the past
外国人 – wài guó rén – foreigner
为什么中国人喝热水？
在中国，大家都喝热水，不喝冷水。
你感冒了？喝热水。
你肚子疼？喝热水。
你很累？喝热水。
你不高兴？喝热水。
外国人不明白。他们问：”为什么？水就是水，为什么要热的？”
中国人觉得，冷水对身体不好，热水对身体好。
为什么呢？
第一，很久以前，中国人就知道：水烧热了，才干净。冷水里有不好的东西，喝了会生病。热水没有问题。
第二，中国人觉得，身体喜欢热，不喜欢冷。你喝冷水，肚子就冷了，人不舒服。你喝热水，肚子是热的，人就舒服。
我以前也不明白。但是我在中国住了几年，现在，我也喝热水了。
2 replies on “Essay: 为什么中国人喝热水？ – Why Do Chinese People Drink Hot Water?”
yay! glad to get more readings :)))
I’m new to the language and this seems like a great resource. Thank you.