自来水 literally means 'self-coming water' — a vivid, historical description of water that flows automatically to homes through pipes, without manual fetching. The character 自 (zì) means 'self', 来 (lái) means 'to come', and 水 (shuǐ) means 'water'. Together, they evoke the idea of water that arrives on its own — a concept coined in early 20th-century China when modern municipal water systems were introduced. It is the standard, neutral term for piped, municipally supplied drinking water in urban and suburban areas.

This word is used daily in contexts like cooking, cleaning, drinking, and plumbing. Unlike well water (井水) or spring water (泉水), 自来水 implies treatment, regulation, and infrastructure. In many Chinese cities, it’s safe for boiling and drinking, though some households use filters or purifiers as an extra precaution. It’s rarely used poetically or figuratively — its meaning is concrete and functional.