'Hē shuǐ' literally combines 喝 (hē), meaning 'to drink', and 水 (shuǐ), meaning 'water'. Together, they form a common verb phrase meaning 'to drink water' — the most basic and essential act of hydration in daily life. It is used frequently in health contexts, medical advice, parenting, and everyday conversation to emphasize wellness or routine care.

This phrase is unmarked for tense and must be paired with time words or aspect particles (e.g., 了, 过, 在) to indicate when or how the action occurs. Unlike some verbs, it does not require an object marker (e.g., 把) and is rarely used in formal writing without context — it’s primarily spoken and informal. While it specifically means drinking plain water, it can occasionally stand metonymically for general hydration, especially in health education or parental reminders.