fèishuǐ: 废水 - Wastewater, Sewage, Effluent

• Keywords: 废水, feishui, Chinese for wastewater, Chinese for sewage, fei shui meaning, industrial wastewater, domestic sewage, pollution in China, environmental terms in Chinese, HSK 5 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn the essential Chinese term 废水 (fèishuǐ), meaning “wastewater” or “sewage.” This guide breaks down the characters, explains its critical role in discussions about pollution and environmental protection in modern China, and provides 10 practical example sentences. Understand the difference between industrial wastewater (工业废水) and domestic sewage (生活废水) to speak more accurately about environmental issues.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): fèi shuǐ
• Part of Speech: Noun
• HSK Level: HSK 5
• Concise Definition: Liquid waste or sewage discharged from industrial, agricultural, or domestic sources.
• In a Nutshell: 废水 (fèishuǐ) is the standard, slightly formal term for any water that has been used and is now considered waste. It's a compound of “waste” and “water,” making it very literal. Think of it as the go-to word in news reports, official documents, or serious discussions about pollution and environmental treatment.

• 废 (fèi): This character means “waste,” “useless,” “abandoned,” or “to abolish.” Imagine an old, abandoned building (广) that has fallen into disuse and is no longer productive. It carries a strong sense of being discarded.
• 水 (shuǐ): This is the character for “water,” one of the most basic and pictographic characters, originally drawn to look like a flowing river.

When combined, 废水 (fèishuǐ) literally means “waste water.” The meaning is direct and transparent, referring to water that has served its purpose and is now discarded.

While the concept of “wastewater” is universal, 废水 (fèishuǐ) holds particular significance in the context of modern China's development. For decades, rapid industrialization led to significant environmental challenges, with the discharge of untreated 废水 being a major cause of water pollution. Consequently, 废水 is not just a technical term; it's a keyword in China's national conversation about environmental protection (环保 - huánbǎo), sustainable development, and the government's “war on pollution.” News reports, policy discussions, and public awareness campaigns frequently mention the need to control 废水 emissions (排放 - páifàng) and invest in treatment facilities. In the West, “wastewater” or “sewage” is often seen as a settled municipal issue, a problem managed by established infrastructure. In China, while the infrastructure is vast, the term 废水 often evokes a more immediate and ongoing struggle: the tension between economic growth and environmental health, a core challenge for the nation in the 21st century.

废水 (fèishuǐ) is a neutral to formal term used in a variety of contexts, almost always with a negative connotation related to pollution.

• Environmental and News Reporting: This is the most common context. You'll see it in articles about polluted rivers, factory inspections, and new environmental regulations.
• Industrial and Technical Settings: Factories and engineers use this term to refer to industrial effluent, cooling water, and other liquid byproducts.
• Government and Policy: Official documents, laws, and standards regarding pollution control will use 废水 as the standard legal and technical term.

It is generally not used in very casual, everyday conversation about a dirty puddle on the street. For that, you might use 脏水 (zāng shuǐ - dirty water). However, if you're talking about the sewage from your apartment building, 废水 is perfectly appropriate.

• Example 1:
  • 这家化工厂每天排放大量废水。
  • Pinyin: Zhè jiā huàgōngchǎng měitiān páifàng dàliàng fèishuǐ.
  • English: This chemical plant discharges a large amount of wastewater every day.
  • Analysis: A typical sentence you might read in a news report. 排放 (páifàng) is the standard verb for “to discharge” or “to emit” waste.
• Example 2:
  • 城市必须建立有效的废水处理系统。
  • Pinyin: Chéngshì bìxū jiànlì yǒuxiào de fèishuǐ chǔlǐ xìtǒng.
  • English: The city must establish an effective wastewater treatment system.
  • Analysis: This sentence highlights a common solution-oriented collocation: 废水处理 (fèishuǐ chǔlǐ), “wastewater treatment.”
• Example 3:
  • 工业废水和生活废水的成分不同。
  • Pinyin: Gōngyè fèishuǐ hé shēnghuó fèishuǐ de chéngfèn bùtóng.
  • English: The composition of industrial wastewater and domestic wastewater is different.
  • Analysis: This shows how the term can be specified. 工业 (gōngyè) means industry, and 生活 (shēnghuó) means life or domestic.
• Example 4:
  • 未经处理的废水会严重污染我们的河流。
  • Pinyin: Wèi jīng chǔlǐ de fèishuǐ huì yánzhòng wūrǎn wǒmen de héliú.
  • English: Untreated wastewater will seriously pollute our rivers.
  • Analysis: 未经处理 (wèi jīng chǔlǐ) is a common phrase meaning “untreated” or “unprocessed.”
• Example 5:
  • 政府对废水排放制定了严格的标准。
  • Pinyin: Zhèngfǔ duì fèishuǐ páifàng zhìdìngle yángé de biāozhǔn.
  • English: The government has set strict standards for wastewater discharge.
  • Analysis: This demonstrates the term's use in a legal or policy context.
• Example 6:
  • 这些鱼的死亡和附近的废水排放有关。
  • Pinyin: Zhèxiē yú de sǐwáng hé fùjìn de fèishuǐ páifàng yǒuguān.
  • English: The death of these fish is related to the nearby wastewater discharge.
  • Analysis: A practical example showing cause and effect related to pollution.
• Example 7:
  • 有些公司为了省钱，会偷偷排放废水。
  • Pinyin: Yǒuxiē gōngsī wèile shěng qián, huì tōutōu páifàng fèishuǐ.
  • English: Some companies, in order to save money, will secretly discharge wastewater.
  • Analysis: 偷偷 (tōutōu) means “secretly” or “stealthily,” highlighting the illicit nature of the action.
• Example 8:
  • 农业废水也是水污染的一个重要来源。
  • Pinyin: Nóngyè fèishuǐ yěshì shuǐ wūrǎn de yíge zhòngyào láiyuán.
  • English: Agricultural wastewater is also an important source of water pollution.
  • Analysis: This introduces another category: 农业 (nóngyè), or agriculture.
• Example 9:
  • 如何安全处理核废水是一个全球性的难题。
  • Pinyin: Rúhé ānquán chǔlǐ héfèishuǐ shì yíge quánqiú xìng de nántí.
  • English: How to safely dispose of nuclear wastewater is a global challenge.
  • Analysis: This shows a highly specific and modern use of the term with 核 (hé), meaning “nuclear.”
• Example 10:
  • 经过先进技术处理后，一部分废水可以被回收利用。
  • Pinyin: Jīngguò xiānjìn jìshù chǔlǐ hòu, yí bùfèn fèishuǐ kěyǐ bèi huíshōu lìyòng.
  • English: After being treated with advanced technology, a portion of the wastewater can be recycled and reused.
  • Analysis: This sentence focuses on the solution, using the term 回收利用 (huíshōu lìyòng), meaning “to recycle and reuse.”

The most common point of confusion for learners is the difference between 废水 (fèishuǐ) and 污水 (wūshuǐ).

• 废水 (fèishuǐ): A broader, more technical term for “waste water.” It refers to any water that has been used and is now discarded. Its focus is on the water's *status* as “waste.” It's the preferred term in industrial, legal, and technical contexts (e.g., industrial effluent).
• 污水 (wūshuǐ): Literally “foul/dirty water.” This term emphasizes the *contamination* and *pollution* of the water. It's often used interchangeably with 废水, but is more common when referring to domestic sewage or visibly dirty, smelly water.

In short: All 污水 (wūshuǐ) is a type of 废水 (fèishuǐ), but not all 废水 is necessarily smelly or dirty 污水 (e.g., clean cooling water discharged from a power plant is technically 废水). Common Mistake: Using 脏水 (zāng shuǐ) in a formal context. While everyone will understand you, 脏水 (zāng shuǐ - dirty water) is very colloquial. If you are discussing environmental policy or news, using the more precise term 废水 or 污水 will make you sound much more proficient.

• Incorrect: `这个工厂排放很多脏水。` (Technically okay, but sounds simplistic).
• Correct: `这个工厂排放大量废水。` (More formal and accurate).

• 污水 (wūshuǐ) - Sewage, foul water. A close synonym that emphasizes the dirty or contaminated nature of the water.
• 污染 (wūrǎn) - Pollution. The general environmental problem that 废水 is a major cause of.
• 环保 (huánbǎo) - Environmental Protection. The field and actions dedicated to solving problems like 废水 discharge.
• 排放 (páifàng) - To discharge, to emit. The most common verb used with 废水, as in 排放废水 (páifàng fèishuǐ).
• 废气 (fèiqì) - Waste gas, exhaust. The atmospheric equivalent of 废水.
• 废物 (fèiwù) - Waste, trash. The general category for all discarded materials, including solid waste.
• 处理 (chǔlǐ) - To treat, to process, to handle. Used in the key phrase 废水处理 (fèishuǐ chǔlǐ), or wastewater treatment.
• 下水道 (xiàshuǐdào) - Sewer, drain. The physical infrastructure that transports 废水 and 污水.
• 水质 (shuǐzhì) - Water quality. The environmental indicator that is negatively impacted by untreated 废水.