摘要：“水”是汉字中最古老的象形字之一，其甲骨文（约公元前14世纪）形态生动如蜿蜒的河流，中间曲线象征主流，两侧点状笔画似水滴或浪花，精准捕捉了水流动的姿态。金文延续此设计，小篆将其线条化，隶书则笔画化，定型为现代“水”字，虽象形性减弱，但保留了流动的意象。
“水”是汉字中最古老的象形字之一，其甲骨文（约公元前14世纪）形态生动如蜿蜒的河流，中间曲线象征主流，两侧点状笔画似水滴或浪花，精准捕捉了水流动的姿态。金文延续此设计，小篆将其线条化，隶书则笔画化，定型为现代“水”字，虽象形性减弱，但保留了流动的意象。
The Chinese character "水" (shuǐ, meaning "water") is one of the oldest pictographic characters in Chinese. In the oracle bone script (around the 14th century BCE), it vividly resembles a winding river: the central curve represents the main stream, while the dots on either side symbolize water droplets or waves, capturing the movement of flowing water with remarkable precision. Bronze inscriptions preserved this design, the small seal script stylized the lines, and the clerical script regularized the strokes, eventually forming the modern character "水". Although its pictographic nature is less obvious today, the sense of flowing motion remains.
“水”的本义为河流，引申泛指一切水域及无色无味的液体。在文化中，它既是五行之一（代表北方、冬季），象征柔韧与生命力，也是哲学思想的重要载体——道家以“上善若水”赞其不争之德，儒家以“智者乐水”喻其灵动智慧。
Originally, "水" referred to a river, and over time it expanded to include all bodies of water and even colorless, tasteless liquids. Water is one of the Five Elements in Chinese thought, symbolizing the north, winter, flexibility, and vitality. Philosophically, Daoists praise its gentle, non-assertive nature ("The highest goodness is like water"), and Confucians admire its adaptable and wise qualities ("The wise delight in water").
作为汉字部首，“水”常变形为“氵”（三点水），构成大量相关汉字，如“江”、“河”、“洗”、“汗”等，多与水流、液体或水利活动相关。从“滴水穿石”的毅力到“海纳百川”的包容，“水”不仅是生存之源，更承载了中华文明中对自然力量与人生哲理的深刻洞察。
As a radical in Chinese characters, "水" often appears in the form of the water radical (氵), which is composed of three short strokes. It is used in many characters related to water, such as 江 (river), 河 (river), 洗 (wash), 汗 (sweat). From the perseverance symbolized in the proverb "Dripping water wears through stone" to the inclusiveness expressed in "The sea accepts all rivers", water is not only a source of life but also a profound metaphor in Chinese civilization, reflecting both the forces of nature and insights into human life.
责编：勾晓庆
来源：聆听美妙的世界
