How to Say “Cold water please” in Chinese
Food and dining · HSK 2
"Cold water please" in Chinese is 请给我冰水 (qǐng gěi wǒ bīng shuǐ). Getting cold water in China is harder than you'd think; traditional Chinese medicine holds that cold drinks harm the stomach (伤胃 shāng wèi), so restaurants default to hot water (热水) or warm water (温水). If you ask for just 水, you'll almost always get hot.
Primary translation
请给我冰水
qǐng gěi wǒ bīng shuǐ
Traditional: 請給我冰水
Variants by register
Formal
麻烦您给我一杯冰水
máfan nín gěi wǒ yì bēi bīng shuǐ
Casual
来杯冰水
lái bēi bīng shuǐ
When to use it
Getting cold water in China is harder than you'd think; traditional Chinese medicine holds that cold drinks harm the stomach (伤胃 shāng wèi), so restaurants default to hot water (热水) or warm water (温水). If you ask for just 水, you'll almost always get hot. 冰水 (bīng shuǐ) literally means 'ice water,' while 凉水 (liáng shuǐ) means 'cool water' (room temp or slightly cool). Many older Chinese people will genuinely worry if they see you drinking ice water, especially women; expect the occasional health lecture. In Taiwan, cold water is much more common and freely offered.
Example sentences
请给我一杯冰水。
Qǐng gěi wǒ yì bēi bīng shuǐ.
A glass of cold water please.
可以来点冰水吗？
Kěyǐ lái diǎn bīng shuǐ ma?
Can I get some cold water?
服务员，冰水，谢谢。
Fúwùyuán, bīng shuǐ, xièxie.
Waiter, cold water, thanks.