Could I Get Some Hot Water?

How to use this card

1. Save it before you travel. Download the whole pack from /rescue-cards/ and it works offline — no app, no data plan.
2. Show the big Chinese line to whoever you are talking to. They read characters; the English at the bottom is for you.
3. Say it out loud too if they hesitate. A spoken request gets a faster answer than a silent card, and repeating it removes all doubt.
4. Read the English to understand the reply.

What they will likely say

• “有的，我给您倒。” — Yes, I will pour you some.
• “外面有饮水机。” — There is a water dispenser outside.
• “自己的杯子吗？” — Do you have your own cup?
• “热水免费。” — Hot water is free.

Pro tips

• Do not drink the tap. 自来水 (zì lái shuǐ) is treated but not to Western standards, and bottled water (矿泉水 kuàngquánshuǐ) costs ¥2–5 everywhere.
• 饮水机 (yǐnshuǐjī, water dispenser) in an office, station or lobby is the free, filtered version — the button often says 热水 / 开水 (open-tap hot water).
• Do not fill a flask with water you have already had for hours in a hot car. Buy a fresh bottle when you can.

Related guides

• Full guide — background reading for this situation

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This card is one of the TravelHubChina phrase cards — bilingual, offline, and verified against how people actually talk in China rather than textbook grammar. The full set is free at travelhubchina.com/rescue-cards/.