汽水 qìshuǐ soda pop
soda pop; carbonated soft drink
How to remember 汽水: 汽 steam + 水 water = soda pop.
Characters
How it is used
- 汽 here is 'steam/vapor' referencing carbonation, not 气 'air' - note the different character even though pronounced the same.
- 喝汽水 (drink soda) is the fixed collocation; casual, everyday spoken word for carbonated soft drinks.
- 小孩子都爱喝汽水 (xiǎoháizi dōu ài hē qìshuǐ) - Kids all love drinking soda.
- More generic than 可乐 (cola, a specific type) and less formal than 碳酸饮料 (carbonated beverage, a label term).