Tip: Save the phrase cards you may need before you go out. If a translation app fails, you can show the image directly to a hotel clerk, driver, cashier, restaurant staff member, or police officer.
First move: Do not drink tap water directly unless you know it has been boiled or filtered. Bottled water and boiled water are the easiest choices.
Many Chinese households and hotels use boiled water, bottled water, or filtered water. As a visitor with a sensitive stomach, the safest simple rule is to drink bottled water or clearly boiled/filtered water.
Start with this
- Boiled hot water is common. Hotels may provide a kettle.
- Bottled water is easy to buy. Convenience stores are everywhere in major cities.
- Ice may vary by place. In higher-end restaurants and cafes it is usually more controlled, but be cautious if your stomach is sensitive.
- Street drinks can be fine but not always predictable. Start simple if you just arrived.
What should you do?
- Buy bottled water after landing or near your hotel.
- Use bottled or boiled water for drinking.
- If using a hotel kettle, let the water fully boil.
- If your stomach is sensitive, be cautious with ice, raw foods, and street drinks in the first 24 hours.
- Carry water when visiting large scenic areas.
Water mistakes to avoid
- Drinking tap water directly because it looks clear.
- Forgetting water before a long museum, park, or queue.
- Using unfamiliar street drinks as your first hydration after a long flight.
- Assuming every hotel provides free bottled water in the room.
Water phrases worth saving
- 请给我一瓶水。 (Qing gei wo yi ping shui.)
Please give me a bottle of water.
Save this phrase card before you go out. - 请问，这是热水吗？ (Qingwen, zhe shi reshui ma?)
Is this hot/boiled water?
Save this phrase card before you go out. - 不要冰，谢谢。 (Buyao bing, xiexie.)
No ice, thank you.
Save this phrase card before you go out.
FAQ
Can I brush my teeth with tap water?
Many travelers do, but if you are cautious or have a sensitive stomach, use bottled water for the first day.
Is hot water safe?
Boiled water is commonly used for drinking in China. Make sure it has actually been boiled or comes from a reliable dispenser.
Before you lose signal or battery: save the few cards and addresses you may need today, especially hotel address, pharmacy, payment failure, and emergency help.
Next: Go back to Daily Basics, or save the related Chinese phrase cards.