This is the 285th most frequent Chinese word.


Water.


In this sentence, '水' refers to water as a natural element.

水是生命之源。

Water is the source of life.


Here, '水' refers to the drinking water needed to stay hydrated.

我今天喝了很多水。

I drank a lot of water today.


In this case, '水' is used to denote potable or commercial bottled water.

这瓶水多少钱?

How much is this bottle of water?