How to Say "A Bottle of Water, Please" in Mandarin Chinese
Learn to buy bottled water in Mandarin: ask for a bottle of water, request still or sparkling, ask the price, and pay politely at a shop or kiosk.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
Buying water is one of the first real conversations you will have in Chinese, and it uses a small set of patterns you can reuse everywhere. In this lesson you will learn the measure word 瓶 (píng, "bottle"), how to order with 请 (qǐng, "please"), how to ask for 矿泉水 (kuàngquánshuǐ, mineral water) or 气泡水 (qìpàoshuǐ, sparkling water), and how to ask the price. Mandarin does not mark singular and plural on nouns, so 一瓶矿泉水 can mean "one bottle of mineral water" or "a bottle of mineral water" depending on context. You will also practise the polite 谢谢 and the very common reply 不客气. Keep your tones clear, especially in 水 (shuǐ, third tone) and 买 (mǎi, third tone), and speak in short, complete sentences.
By the end, you can…
- ask for a bottle of water politely in Mandarin.
- say whether I want still water or sparkling water.
- ask how much it costs and pay at a shop or kiosk.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
请给我一瓶水。
A bottle of water, please.
qǐng gěi wǒ yì píng shuǐ
The most direct polite request. 请 (qǐng) softens the command, and 一瓶 (yì píng) is "one bottle".
我要一瓶矿泉水。
I want a bottle of mineral water.
wǒ yào yì píng kuàngquánshuǐ
Use 要 (yào) when ordering at a kiosk or convenience store. 矿泉水 is the standard still mineral water.
有气泡水吗？
Do you have sparkling water?
yǒu qìpàoshuǐ ma
The 吗 (ma) question particle turns a statement into a yes/no question. 气泡水 literally means "bubble water".
多少钱？
How much is it?
duōshao qián
A universal price question. 多少 (duōshao) is "how much", and 钱 (qián) is "money".
我要一瓶冰的。
I want a cold one.
wǒ yào yì píng bīng de
冰的 (bīng de) means "the cold one". Add 的 (de) after an adjective to make it a noun phrase.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 数词 + 瓶 + 水: 一瓶水 (yì píng shuǐ, one bottle of water), 两瓶水 (liǎng píng shuǐ, two bottles of water), 三瓶矿泉水 (sān píng kuàngquánshuǐ, three bottles of mineral water). 瓶 (píng) is a measure word, and Mandarin requires a measure word between a number and a noun. Notice that 两 (liǎng), not 二 (èr), is used before a measure word for "two". To make a polite request, put 请 (qǐng) first: 请给我一瓶水 (qǐng gěi wǒ yì píng shuǐ). To ask a yes/no question, add 吗 (ma) at the end: 有气泡水吗 (yǒu qìpàoshuǐ ma).
When to use it
Use 请给我一瓶水 in a small shop or kiosk when you are speaking to the person behind the counter. If the shop is self-service, you can simply take the bottle and say 多少钱 (duōshao qián) at the till. Use 我要一瓶矿泉水 when you want to be clear about the type. If you are not sure what is available, ask 有矿泉水吗 (yǒu kuàngquánshuǐ ma, "Do you have mineral water?") or 有气泡水吗 (yǒu qìpàoshuǐ ma, "Do you have sparkling water?"). When you pay, 谢谢 (xièxie) is always appropriate, and the seller may reply 不客气 (bú kèqi, "You're welcome").
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
你好，请给我一瓶水。
Hello, a bottle of water, please.nǐ hǎo, qǐng gěi wǒ yì píng shuǐ好的。你要矿泉水还是气泡水？
Okay. Do you want mineral water or sparkling water?hǎo de. nǐ yào kuàngquánshuǐ háishì qìpàoshuǐ我要矿泉水。多少钱？
I want mineral water. How much is it?wǒ yào kuàngquánshuǐ. duōshao qián三块。谢谢！
Three yuan. Thank you!sān kuài. xièxieA little context goes a long way
In mainland China, prices are usually given in 块 (kuài), the colloquial word for yuan, so 三块 means three yuan. In Taiwan, people often say 三塊 too, but the formal currency word is 元 (yuán). Small kiosks may not have card readers, so carrying small cash or using a mobile payment app is practical. Politeness in Chinese shops is usually brief and friendly: 请, 谢谢 and 不客气 cover most situations.
One thing to watch for
Saying 请给我水一瓶, putting the measure word after the noun.
Try this instead: In Mandarin the order is number + measure word + noun: 请给我一瓶水 (qǐng gěi wǒ yì píng shuǐ). The measure word 瓶 must come before 水, not after it.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask for a bottle of water politely?
Show a sample answer
请给我一瓶水。
This uses 请 (please) plus 给我 (give me) plus 一瓶水 (one bottle of water). 我要一瓶水 is also correct but slightly less polite.
2How do you ask whether the shop has sparkling water?
Show a sample answer
有气泡水吗？
Add 吗 to the statement 有气泡水 to form a yes/no question. 有没有气泡水 is another natural alternative.
3How do you ask the price of the water?
Show a sample answer
多少钱？
多少钱 is the standard price question. You can also say 这瓶水多少钱？ to be more specific.
Remember the pattern 一瓶水 (one bottle of water), use 请给我 to order politely, and ask 多少钱 to pay. Keep 水 in a clear third tone.
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