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Questions & Answers about wǒ yǒu shuǐ.
Is 我有水 a natural way to say “I have water”?
Yes. 我有水 (wǒ yǒu shuǐ) is a natural, simple statement of possession, often used when someone asks who has water or whether you have any. If you mean “I have water with me (that I brought),” you can also say 我带了水 (wǒ dàile shuǐ) or 我身上有水 (wǒ shēnshang yǒu shuǐ).
Why is there no word for “a” or “some”?
Chinese has no articles like “a/an/the.” With mass nouns such as 水 (water), a bare noun is fine to express an indefinite amount. If you want to be explicit, use:
- 一些水 (yìxiē shuǐ) = some water
- 一点儿水 (yìdiǎnr shuǐ) = a little water
Do I need a measure word before 水?
Not when you mean water as a mass (uncountable) noun: 我有水 is fine. If you quantify by containers or units, you must use a measure word:
- 一瓶水 (yì píng shuǐ) a bottle of water
- 一杯水 (yì bēi shuǐ) a cup/glass of water
- 一壶水 (yì hú shuǐ) a pot of water
- 一桶水 (yì tǒng shuǐ) a bucket of water
- 一袋水 (yí dài shuǐ) a bag/sachet of water
How do I say “a bottle/cup/sip/drop of water”?
- 一瓶水 (yì píng shuǐ) a bottle of water; two bottles: 两瓶水 (liǎng píng shuǐ)
- 一杯水 (yì bēi shuǐ) a cup/glass of water
- 一壶水 (yì hú shuǐ) a pot of water
- 一口水 (yì kǒu shuǐ) a sip/gulp of water
- 一滴水 (yì dī shuǐ) a drop of water
How do I ask “Do you have water?”
Two common ways:
- 你有水吗？ (Nǐ yǒu shuǐ ma?)
- 你有没有水？ (Nǐ yǒu méiyǒu shuǐ?) Answers:
- Yes: 有。 (Yǒu.)
- No: 没有。 (Méiyǒu.) Also: 谁有水？ (Shéi yǒu shuǐ?) — “Who has water?”
How do I negate it?
Use 没有 (méiyǒu), not “不有”:
- 我没有水。 (Wǒ méiyǒu shuǐ.) I don’t have water. Stronger:
- 我一点儿水都没有。 (Wǒ yìdiǎnr shuǐ dōu méiyǒu.) I don’t have even a little bit of water. (Also common: 一点水也没有.)
Does 有 also mean “there is/are”?
Yes. 有 can mark existence/availability:
- 桌子上有水。 (Zhuōzi shàng yǒu shuǐ.) There’s water on the table.
- 包里有水。 (Bāo lǐ yǒu shuǐ.) There’s water in the bag. Compare with possession 我有水 (“I have water”)—who has it vs. where it is.
How do I say “Now I have water” or “I don’t have water anymore”?
Use the change-of-state particle 了 (le):
- 我有水了。 (Wǒ yǒu shuǐ le.) Now I have water (I didn’t before).
- 我没有水了。 (Wǒ méiyǒu shuǐ le.) I don’t have water anymore (I did before). Note: 了 here marks a change, not “past tense.”
Do I need 的 after 我?
No. 我有水 is Subject–Verb–Object. 的 is for possessive noun phrases like 我的水 (wǒ de shuǐ) = “my water,” e.g., 这是我的水。
How should I pronounce the tones here?
All three characters are third tone underlyingly: wǒ (我), yǒu (有), shuǐ (水). With tone sandhi, speakers commonly avoid three full 3rd tones in a row. You’ll hear:
- wó yóu shuǐ (2–2–3) by the simple rule “a 3rd tone before another 3rd becomes 2nd,”
- and also wó yǒu shuǐ (2–3–3) depending on phrasing. Either sounds natural; aim for smooth rising into the final syllable.
Can I drop any words in conversation?
Yes, in answers:
- Q: 你有水吗？ A: 有。/ 没有。 You can also say 我有 and omit 水 if it’s obvious. But you cannot drop 有 in a full sentence—我水 is incorrect.
Are the characters the same in Traditional Chinese?
Yes. 我有水 is written the same in Simplified and Traditional.
Is the word order always Subject–Verb–Object with 有?
Yes for possession:
- 我有水。 I have water.
- 他有书。 He has books.
- 我们有问题。 We have a problem. For existence, use a location/topic first:
- 冰箱里有水。 There is water in the fridge.
How can I express amounts like “a lot of water” or “some water”?
- 很多水 (hěn duō shuǐ) a lot of water
- 一些水 (yìxiē shuǐ) some water
- 一点儿水 (yìdiǎnr shuǐ) a little water
- Emphatic none: 一点儿水都没有。
How do I say “I brought water” (not just “I have water”)?
Use verbs that specify the action:
- 我带了水。 (Wǒ dàile shuǐ.) I brought water.
- 我拿着一瓶水。 (Wǒ názhe yì píng shuǐ.) I’m holding a bottle of water. To mean “I have water on me now”: 我身上有水。