Why Chinese people love HOT water? | 多喝热水 The Magic of Hot Water

小悦大家好，欢迎收听《大白话中文》。我是小悦。

Hello everyone, welcome to Simply Natural Chinese. I'm Xiaoyue.

Leo大家好，我是 Leo。

Hello everyone, I'm Leo.

小悦Leo，你今天怎么了？你的声音听起来不太对。

Leo, what's wrong with you today? You don't sound quite right.

Leo哦，我最近有点不舒服。一直在咳嗽。

Oh, I've been feeling unwell lately. I've been coughing non-stop.

小悦啊？你感冒了吗？

Huh? Do you have a cold?

Leo我也不确定。可能是感冒，可能是太累了。总之，我感觉不太好。

I'm not sure. Maybe it's a cold, maybe I'm just too tired. Either way, I don't feel good.

小悦那你喝热水了吗？

Have you been drinking hot water?

Leo哈？什么？

Huh? What?

小悦热水！你要多喝热水！

Hot water! You need to drink more hot water!

Leo等等，为什么感冒了要喝热水？

Wait, why do I need to drink hot water when I have a cold?

小悦因为热水对身体很好。

Because hot water is really good for your body.

Leo小悦，我在英国长大。在英国，如果我感冒了，大家会说"喝果汁"，或者"喝冷水"，或者"去看医生"。没有人会说"喝热水"。

Xiaoyue, I grew up in the UK. In Britain, when I have a cold, people tell me to drink juice, or cold water, or see a doctor. Nobody says drink hot water.

小悦哈哈，真的吗？

Ha ha, really?

Leo真的。但是我来中国以后，好像不管是身体哪儿不舒服，大家都会说"多喝热水"。

Really. But after I came to China, it seems like no matter what's wrong with you, people always say drink more hot water.

小悦哈哈哈，因为热水真的很有用啊。

Ha ha ha, because hot water really works!

Leo这就是今天我们要聊的话题，对吗？

So this is what we're talking about today, right?

小悦没错！今天我们就来聊聊"多喝热水"。这是一个在中国非常、非常有名的说法。

Exactly! Today we're going to talk about drinking more hot water. This is a very, very famous phrase in China.

Leo对。我觉得这四个字真的经常出现在日常生活中。

Right. I feel like these four characters really come up all the time in daily life.

小悦没错。好，Leo，我们一边聊一边给听众朋友们解释。

Exactly. Okay Leo, we'll explain things to our listeners as we go.

Leo好的。那我可以先喝一口热水吗？

Sure. Can I drink some hot water first?

小悦哈哈，当然可以！

Ha ha, of course!

Leo好，我喝了。感觉还是一样。但是谢谢你。

Okay, I drank it. I feel the same. But thank you.

小悦哈哈，要多喝，不是只喝一口。

Ha ha, you need to drink more, not just one sip.

Leo那我的肚子可装不下了。

My stomach can't hold that much.

小悦好，我们来认真聊一聊。Leo，你知道吗，在中国，只要你有任何的不舒服，别人都有可能让你“多喝热水”。

Okay, let's talk about this seriously. Leo, do you know that in China, whenever you feel unwell, people might tell you to drink more hot water.

Leo所有的病吗？

For every illness?

小悦对。几乎所有的病。我来说几个场景，你来猜答案是什么。

Yes, almost all of them. Let me give you a few scenarios, you guess the answer.

Leo好，我猜答案每次都是"多喝热水"。

Okay, I bet the answer is drink more hot water every single time.

小悦哈哈，你已经学会了。好，第一个场景——感冒了，怎么办？

Ha ha, you've already learned it. Okay, first scenario — you have a cold, what do you do?

Leo多喝热水。

Drink more hot water.

小悦对！第二个场景——胃不舒服，怎么办？

Yes! Second scenario — your stomach feels off, what do you do?

Leo多喝热水。

Drink more hot water.

小悦对！第三个场景——头痛，怎么办？

Yes! Third scenario — you have a headache, what do you do?

Leo多喝热水。

Drink more hot water.

小悦对！第四个场景——今天心情不好，很难过，怎么办？

Yes! Fourth scenario — you're feeling down today, really sad, what do you do?

Leo多喝热水？

Drink more hot water?

小悦对！

Yes!

Leo小悦，这真的可以吗？心情不好也要喝热水？

Xiaoyue, does this really work? Do I have to drink hot water even when I'm sad?

小悦嗯，热水能让你的身体暖起来，身体暖了，心情也会好一点。

Well, hot water can warm up your body, and when your body is warm, your mood improves too.

Leo好吧。那我再问一个问题。如果我的电脑坏了，怎么办？

Okay. Can I ask another question? If my computer breaks, what do I do?

小悦那就找技术人员。

Then you find a technician.

Leo不是"多喝热水"吗？

Isn't the answer drink more hot water?

小悦哈哈，电脑不能喝水。

Ha ha, computers can't drink water.

Leo在英国，电脑如果坏了，我会先喝一杯咖啡，然后再想办法。也许在中国应该喝热水？

In the UK, if my computer breaks, I'll first drink a cup of coffee, then figure out what to do. Maybe in China I should drink hot water?

小悦哈哈，说不定！说到这里，Leo，你在你的办公室里，有没有发现什么？

Ha ha, maybe! Speaking of which, Leo, have you noticed anything in your office?

Leo有！这个我一定要说。在办公室里，每个同事的桌子上都有一个大杯子。

Yes! I have to say this. In the office, every colleague has a big cup on their desk.

小悦什么样的大杯子？

What kind of big cup?

Leo就是那种有盖子的保温杯。

You know, the kind with a lid, a thermal flask.

小悦对，保温杯！

Right, a thermal flask!

Leo而且，杯子里面不是普通的热水。里面泡着一些红色的小东西。

And it's not ordinary hot water inside. There are some little red things soaking in it.

小悦哈哈！那是枸杞。

Ha ha! That's goji berries.

Leo枸杞是什么？

What are goji berries?

小悦枸杞是一种红色的小果子，对身体很好。很多中国人喜欢把枸杞泡在热水里喝。

Goji berries are a type of small red fruit that's really good for you. A lot of Chinese people like to soak goji berries in hot water and drink it.

Leo所以那不是热水，那是枸杞茶？

So it's not hot water, it's goji berry tea?

小悦哈哈，可以这么说。

Ha ha, you could say that.

Leo我第一次看到的时候，我以为那是某种特别的饮料。结果同事告诉我，那是他们每天都喝的东西。

The first time I saw it, I thought it was some kind of special drink. Turns out my colleague told me it's something they drink every single day.

小悦是的。在中国，很多年轻人也开始喝枸杞泡水了。

Yes. In China, a lot of young people have started drinking goji berry water too.

Leo还有一个发现。在英国，办公室里的茶水间，大家都去拿冷水或者咖啡。但是在这里，大家去茶水间最多的原因，是去接热水。

One more thing I noticed. In the UK, in the office kitchen, everyone goes to get cold water or coffee. But here, the most common reason people go to the kitchen is to get hot water.

小悦对！因为大家的保温杯里的水喝完了，要去加热水。

Right! Because everyone has finished the water in their thermal flask and they need to refill it with hot water.

Leo他们真的每天都喝很多热水。

They really do drink a lot of hot water every day.

小悦好，现在我们来说说为什么中国人这么喜欢喝热水。Leo，你真的很好奇，对吗？

Okay, now let's talk about why Chinese people like drinking hot water so much. You really are curious, right?

Leo非常好奇。我从来没想过水的温度这么重要。

Very curious. I've never thought the temperature of water could be this important.

小悦这跟中国的一个很重要的概念有关，就是养生。

This is related to a very important concept in China, which is yangsheng, or holistic health care.

Leo这个词我听过，具体是什么意思呢？

I've heard that word before, what does it mean exactly?

小悦养生的意思是，照顾好自己的身体，让身体保持健康。

Yangsheng means taking care of your body, keeping yourself healthy.

Leo就是"保持健康"的意思？

So it means staying healthy?

小悦差不多，但是更具体一点。养生包括很多方面，比如什么时候睡觉，什么时候运动，应该吃什么，应该喝什么。

More or less, but more specific. Yangsheng covers many aspects, like when to sleep, when to exercise, what to eat, what to drink.

Leo应该喝热水。

Drink hot water.

小悦对！在中医的观念里，大部分冷的东西对身体不好。喝冷水、吃冷的食物，都会伤胃。

Right! In Traditional Chinese Medicine, most cold things are not good for your body. Drinking cold water, eating cold food, both can harm your stomach.

Leo伤胃？

Harm your stomach?

小悦对，就是对胃不好。但是热水不一样，热水能让血液流动得更好，对身体有帮助。

Right, meaning bad for your stomach. But hot water is different. Hot water helps blood circulate better and is good for your body.

Leo我明白了。所以这不只是一个简单的建议，这背后有中医的道理。

I see. So this isn't just a simple suggestion — there's TCM reasoning behind it.

小悦对。这里有中医文化的原因。

Exactly. There are reasons rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine culture.

Leo在英国，如果你去餐厅，坐下来以后，服务员第一件事是给你一杯水。

In the UK, if you go to a restaurant and sit down, the first thing the waiter does is bring you a glass of water.

小悦热水吗？

Hot water?

Leo不，是冷水，而且里面有冰块。

No, cold water, and it has ice cubes in it.

小悦冰块！

Ice cubes!

Leo对。这叫做"tap water"，免费的，里面有冰块。

Right. It's called tap water, it's free, and it has ice in it.

小悦在中国，很多餐厅会给你热茶，或者温水。就算是夏天，外面很热，餐厅里还是会给你准备热水。

In China, a lot of restaurants will give you hot tea, or warm water. Even in summer, when it's really hot outside, restaurants will still serve you hot water.

Leo对对对！这个让我印象非常深。有一次外面可能有四十度，非常非常热。我去餐厅，坐下来，服务员端上来一杯冒烟的热茶。

Right, right, right! That really stuck with me. Once it was maybe forty degrees outside, incredibly hot. I went to a restaurant, sat down, and the waiter brought me a cup of steaming hot tea.

小悦哈哈哈！不过大部分餐厅也会准备冰水，你可以主动向服务员要。

Ha ha ha! Though most restaurants do have ice water too, you can ask the waiter for it.

Leo我当时觉得好奇怪，我已经这么热了，还要喝热的。

I thought it was so weird at the time. I was already so hot, and I had to drink something hot.

小悦从中医的角度来说，热天喝热水，能让你出汗，出了汗，就排出了热量。

From the TCM perspective, drinking hot water on a hot day makes you sweat, and when you sweat, you release body heat.

Leo哦，我之前完全不知道这个道理。

Oh, I had no idea about that.

小悦所以，这不是折磨你，这是在帮你。

So it's not torturing you, it's actually helping you.

Leo好吧，我接受这个解释。

Okay, I accept that explanation.

小悦对了 Leo，你知道吗，“多喝热水”这四个字，也不是什么时候都能说的。

By the way Leo, did you know that the phrase drink more hot water isn't appropriate in every situation?

Leo啊？“多喝热水”不是万能的吗？

What? Isn't drink more hot water a cure-all?

小悦现在的年轻人，特别是女生，最不喜欢听到的话，就是"多喝热水"。

These days, young people, especially girls, really dislike hearing the phrase drink more hot water.

Leo为什么？

Why?

小悦因为你想象一下，一个女生如果生病了，很难受，发消息告诉了她的男朋友，然后他的回复就四个字，"多喝热水"。

Because imagine a girl is sick, feeling terrible, she messages her boyfriend, and his reply is just four words: drink more hot water.

Leo嗯，我明白了，听起来有点敷衍？

Hmm, I see. That sounds a bit dismissive?

小悦对！"敷衍"！就是这个词。敷衍的意思是，随便应付一下，没有真的关心。

Exactly! Dismissive! That's the word. Dismissive means giving a careless response without really showing you care.

Leo那正确的回复应该是什么呢？

So what should the right reply be?

小悦应该多关心一点。比如"你哪里不舒服？""要不要去看医生？""我去给你买药，好不好？"

Show a bit more concern. Like, Where does it hurt? Do you need to see a doctor? Let me go buy you some medicine, okay?

Leo啊，这样才是真的关心。

Ah, that's what it means to really care.

小悦对。所以"多喝热水"变成了一个有点直男的说法。

Right. So drink more hot water has become a bit of a man-splaining phrase.

Leo直男是什么？

What does man-splaining mean?

小悦就是，有点不懂得关心人，只会说一些简单粗暴的话。

It means someone who doesn't really know how to show care, who only says simple, blunt things.

Leo哈哈，我明白了。所以如果有人告诉你他感冒了，你不应该只说"多喝热水"。

Ha ha, I see. So if someone tells you they have a cold, you shouldn't just say drink more hot water.

小悦对，你可以先关心他，然后再加一句"多喝热水"。

Right. You can first show concern, then add drink more hot water.

Leo哈哈，所以热水还是要喝的。

Ha ha, so you still need to drink the hot water.

小悦当然！但是不能只有“多喝热水”。

Of course! But it can't be the ONLY thing you say.

Leo这个区别很重要，我记住了。

This distinction is really important, I'll remember it.

小悦好，我们来学几个实用的表达。Leo，准备好了吗？

Okay, let's learn a few practical expressions. Leo, are you ready?

Leo准备好了。让我先喝一口热水。

Ready. Let me take a sip of hot water first.

小悦好，第一个词——"趁热喝"。

Okay, first expression — drink it while it's hot.

Leo趁热喝。就是在水还热的时候喝？

Drink it while it's hot. Meaning drink it while the water is still hot?

小悦对！说得非常好。比如，你给朋友泡了一杯茶，你会说——"趁热喝"。

Yes! Very well put. For example, if you make tea for a friend, you'd say — drink it while it's hot.

Leo就是让他快一点喝，不要等到冷了。

So tell them to drink it quickly, don't wait until it gets cold.

小悦对。这句话很常见，在家里，在餐厅，都会用。

Right. This phrase is very common, at home, in restaurants, you hear it all the time.

Leo好，我记住了。趁热喝。

Okay, I remember it. Drink it while it's hot.

小悦第二个词——"养生"。这个我们前面提到了。

Second expression — yangsheng, holistic health care. We mentioned this earlier.

Leo养生，就是照顾身体，保持健康。

Yangsheng means taking care of your body, staying healthy.

小悦对。现在年轻人很流行"养生"，比如喝枸杞水，早睡早起，不吃太多冷的食物。

Right. These days, yangsheng is very popular among young people, like drinking goji berry water, sleeping early and waking early, not eating too much cold food.

Leo我发现我身边很多年轻的同事也很注重养生。

I notice a lot of my young colleagues are also very mindful about yangsheng.

小悦对，现在养生不只是老年人做的事情，很多年轻人也开始了。

Right, yangsheng isn't just for elderly people anymore, a lot of young people have started doing it too.

Leo这在英国不太一样。年轻人一般不太在意这些。

It's different in the UK. Young people generally don't pay much attention to these things.

小悦哈哈，文化不同。好，第三个表达——"加冰"和"去冰"。

Ha ha, different cultures. Okay, third expression — add ice and no ice.

Leo哦，这个我知道！在奶茶店，你可以选"加冰"——就是加冰块，或者"去冰"——就是不要冰块。

Oh, I know this one! At a bubble tea shop, you can choose add ice — meaning add ice cubes, or no ice — meaning no ice cubes.

小悦对！还有"正常冰"，就是正常量的冰块。"少冰"，就是少一点冰块。

Right! There's also regular ice, meaning the normal amount of ice. Less ice, meaning fewer ice cubes.

Leo哦，在中国点奶茶，要选冰的程度，还要选甜的程度，对不对？

Oh, when ordering bubble tea in China, you choose the ice level, and also the sweetness level, right?

小悦对！比如"七分糖"，就是甜度是七成，不是全甜。

Right! Like seventy percent sugar, meaning the sweetness is seventy percent, not fully sweet.

Leo哇，这个系统很复杂。我要多点几次奶茶才能学会。

Wow, this system is pretty complicated. I need to order bubble tea a few more times to learn it all.

小悦哈哈，我看你就是想多喝几杯奶茶吧。不过，Leo，你来中国这么久，有没有慢慢习惯喝热水？

Ha ha, I think you just want an excuse to drink more bubble tea. By the way Leo, you've been in China for a while now — are you getting used to drinking hot water?

Leo有一点。我现在不会觉得热水很奇怪了。但是我早上起来，我还是更想喝冷的。

A little bit. I don't think hot water is strange anymore. But when I wake up in the morning, I still prefer cold water.

小悦哈哈，这需要时间。

Ha ha, that takes time.

Leo对。不过我有一个习惯改变了。我现在也有一个保温杯了。

Right. But one habit of mine has changed. I now have my own thermal flask too.

小悦你自己买的吗？

Did you buy it yourself?

Leo不是，我的同事送了我一个，他还给了我一些枸杞。

No, my colleague gave me one, and he also gave me some goji berries.

小悦哈哈哈！Leo，你已经是中国人了！

Ha ha ha! Leo, you're practically Chinese now!

Leo哈哈，不完全是。我的枸杞热水旁边，还放着一瓶冰可乐。

Ha ha, not quite. Right next to my goji berry hot water, I also have a bottle of iced cola.

小悦好吧，这个叫做——中西结合。

Okay, that we call — East meets West.

Leo对了，小悦，我还想问一个问题。

By the way Xiaoyue, I have another question.

小悦你说。

Go ahead.

Leo如果我在外面想喝热水了，该怎么办，超市可以买到吗？

If I'm outside and want hot water, what do I do? Can I buy it at the supermarket?

小悦不用买。在很多地方，比如高铁上、医院里、办公室里，都有热水机，大家可以随时接热水。

No need to buy. In many places, like on high-speed trains, in hospitals, in offices, there are hot water dispensers. Everyone can get hot water anytime.

Leo哦！我在高铁上看到过这个！那个机器，有人排队接热水。

Oh! I've seen these on high-speed trains! That machine, with people lining up to get hot water.

小悦对，就是那个。所以在中国，喝热水非常方便。

Right, that's the one. So in China, drinking hot water is super convenient.

Leo难怪大家喝那么多热水。因为到处都可以接到。

No wonder everyone drinks so much hot water. Because you can get it everywhere.

小悦对。而且中国人从小就习惯喝热水，所以觉得很自然。

Right. And Chinese people grow up drinking hot water, so it feels completely natural.

Leo我现在理解了。在英国，到处都是饮水机，但是出来的水是冷的。所以英国人习惯喝冷水。

I understand now. In the UK, there are water dispensers everywhere, but the water that comes out is cold. So British people are used to drinking cold water.

小悦对，环境影响习惯，习惯影响文化。

Right, environment shapes habits, habits shape culture.

Leo我明白了。不是哪一种更好，只是大家习惯不一样。

I get it. It's not that one is better than the other — we just have different habits.

小悦对！这才是最重要的理解。

Right! That's the most important understanding.

小悦好，我们今天聊了很多。Leo，你今天的状态怎么样？好一点了吗？

Okay, we've talked about a lot today. Leo, how are you feeling now? Any better?

Leo你知道吗，我喝了这么多热水，咳嗽好像少了一点点。

You know what, after drinking all that hot water, my cough seems to have decreased a little bit.

小悦你看！真的有用吧！

See! It really works!

Leo也许有用，也许是我的感觉。但是，我现在肚子里暖暖的，感觉舒服了一点。

Maybe it helped, maybe it's just in my head. But my stomach feels warm and cozy now, I feel a bit more comfortable.

小悦这就对了。

That's exactly right.

Leo所以，虽然热水不一定能治病，但是确实能让人舒服一点。

So while hot water might not cure anything, it really can make you feel a bit more comfortable.

小悦有这个效果就足够啦。

That's enough of an effect.

Leo而且，我现在明白了，当中国人说"多喝热水"，他们不只是在说喝水。

And now I understand — when Chinese people say drink more hot water, they're not just talking about drinking water.

小悦对，你说说看。

Right, tell me more.

Leo他们是在说——我关心你，我希望你好起来。这是他们表达关心的方式。

They're saying — I care about you, I want you to get better. That's how they show they care.

小悦对！说得太好了。

Exactly! That's so well said.

Leo但是只有这一句有时候显得太简单了，听起来不够关心。

But just that one phrase can sometimes sound too simple, not caring enough.

小悦对，所以要记住，"多喝热水"可以说，但是不能只说这一句。

Right, so remember — you can say drink more hot water, but you can't ONLY say that.

Leo哈哈，对。要加上其他的关心。

Ha ha, right. You need to add other expressions of care.

小悦好，那我们来问一下听众朋友们——在你们的国家，如果朋友生病了，大家会怎么说？会推荐什么？

Okay, let's ask our listeners — in your country, when a friend is sick, what do people say? What do they recommend?

Leo是喝热水？冷水？果汁？还是什么？可以在评论里告诉我们，我们很好奇！

Hot water? Cold water? Juice? Something else? Let us know in the comments, we're very curious!

小悦好，感谢大家今天收听《大白话中文》。如果你们喜欢今天的节目，别忘了关注我们。

Okay, thanks for listening to Simply Natural Chinese today. If you liked today's episode, don't forget to follow us.

Leo对，如果你今天感觉不太好，你知道该怎么做了。

Right. And if you're not feeling well today, you know what to do.

小悦多喝热水！

Drink more hot water!

Leo多喝热水！

Drink more hot water!

小悦我们下次再见，拜拜！

See you next time, bye bye!

Leo拜拜！

Bye bye!

5 questions · up to 50 points