When you live in China, you'll hear the term 水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi) often. This word literally means "water, electricity, and fees." It's the common way to refer to your utility bill, specifically for water and electricity.
While some utility bills might include other services, 水电费 almost always refers to these two essentials. So, if someone asks you about paying the 水电费, they're talking about the water and electricity bill for your home or apartment.
When you live in China, you'll hear the term 水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi) often. It literally means 'water, electricity, and fees.' This single word is used to refer to your utility bill, specifically for water and electricity.
It's an important term to know for daily life, whether you're renting an apartment or just trying to understand common conversations. Remember, it's a practical word that combines a few concepts into one easy-to-use phrase.
When living in China, you'll often encounter the term 水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi), which literally translates to "water electricity fee." This is the common way to refer to your utility bill, specifically covering water and electricity costs.
It's a practical phrase to know for daily life, whether you're paying bills, discussing rental agreements, or just understanding conversations about household expenses.
When living in China, you'll often encounter the term 水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi). This noun specifically refers to the utility bill that combines water and electricity charges. It's a very practical term to know, especially when managing household expenses or discussing living costs.
While some places might separate these bills, it's common for them to be grouped together under 水电费. Understanding this term is crucial for everyday life, whether you're paying bills, discussing rent with a landlord, or simply budgeting your expenses. It directly translates to "water-electricity-fee."
§ What is 水电费?
Let's get straight to it. When you hear or see 水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi) in Chinese, it simply means 'utility bill.' More specifically, it refers to your water and electricity bill combined. It's a very common and practical term you'll encounter if you live in China, or even if you're just discussing household expenses.
- DEFINITION
- Utility bill (water and electricity).
The word itself is a combination of three characters:
水 (shuǐ): This means 'water.'
电 (diàn): This means 'electricity.'
费 (fèi): This means 'fee' or 'charge.'
So, when you put them together, you get 'water electricity fee,' which translates directly to 'utility bill' in the context of household expenses.
§ When do people use it?
You'll use 水电费 in everyday conversations about managing a household, renting an apartment, or just discussing living costs. It's a fundamental word for anyone living in or planning to live in a Chinese-speaking environment.
Here are some common scenarios:
Paying bills: When you need to pay your monthly utilities, you'll be dealing with 水电费.
Renting an apartment: When you're looking for a place to live, your landlord or real estate agent will often mention whether 水电费 is included in the rent or if you have to pay it separately.
Discussing expenses: If you're talking about your budget or how much money you spend each month, 水电费 will definitely come up.
§ Practical Examples
Let's look at some examples to help you see 水电费 in action:
我需要去交水电费了。
Translation hint: I need to go pay the utility bill.
这个月的水电费有点高。
Translation hint: This month's utility bill is a bit high.
房租包含水电费吗？
Translation hint: Does the rent include the utility bills?
Understanding 水电费 is a basic but essential step in becoming more comfortable with daily life in a Chinese-speaking environment. It's a word you'll use and hear frequently, so make sure you've got it down.
§ Understanding Shuidianfei (水电费)
When you live in China, you'll inevitably encounter the term 水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi). It literally translates to "water-electricity-fee," and it refers to your utility bill for water and electricity. This is a very common and practical term you need to know, especially if you're renting an apartment or managing household expenses.
Unlike in some Western countries where you might receive separate bills for water and electricity, in China, these two are often grouped together. Sometimes, gas (煤气 méiqì or 燃气 ránqì) might also be included, or it could be a separate bill. It depends on your specific landlord or housing arrangement. Always clarify what is included when you're discussing rent or utility payments.
§ What's in Shuidianfei (水电费)?
- DEFINITION
- Utility bill (specifically for water and electricity). It's the cost you pay for your water and electricity consumption.
The components of 水电费 are straightforward:
- 水 (shuǐ): Water. This covers your household water usage for things like showering, flushing toilets, and cooking.
- 电 (diàn): Electricity. This covers the electricity you use for lighting, appliances, air conditioning, and heating (if electric).
- 费 (fèi): Fee/cost. This suffix is commonly used to denote a charge or expense.
§ Paying Shuidianfei (水电费)
Paying your 水电费 is usually a monthly affair. In many modern Chinese cities, payments are often made through apps like WeChat Pay or Alipay, or sometimes directly through your landlord or property management office. Make sure you understand the payment method and schedule when you move in.
这个月的水电费是多少？
(Zhège yuè de shuǐdiànfèi shì duōshǎo?)
How much is this month's utility bill (water and electricity)?
我需要交水电费了。
(Wǒ xūyào jiāo shuǐdiànfèi le.)
I need to pay the utility bill.
请问，房租包含水电费吗？
(Qǐngwèn, fángzū bāohán shuǐdiànfèi ma?)
Excuse me, does the rent include the utility bill (water and electricity)?
§ Similar words and when to use this one vs alternatives
水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi) is your go-to term for water and electricity bills. However, there are other related terms you might encounter:
- 电费 (diànfèi): Electricity bill. This refers specifically to the cost of electricity. If someone only mentions 电费, they are usually talking about electricity only, not water.
- 水费 (shuǐfèi): Water bill. This refers specifically to the cost of water. If someone only mentions 水费, they are usually talking about water only.
- 燃气费 (ránqìfèi) / 煤气费 (méiqìfèi): Gas bill. These refer to the cost of gas. 燃气费 is more common for natural gas, while 煤气费 might refer to city gas or LPG.
- 物业费 (wùyèfèi): Property management fee. This covers services like security, cleaning of common areas, and maintenance in apartment complexes. It's separate from your utility bills.
- 房租 (fángzū): Rent. This is the payment for using the property itself. Sometimes landlords will include 水电费 in the 房租, especially for short-term rentals or rooms in shared apartments. Always check!
When to use 水电费:
Use 水电费 when you want to refer to both water and electricity bills together. It's the most common and convenient way to bundle these two essential utilities.
请问，这套公寓的水电费大概多少钱一个月？
(Qǐngwèn, zhè tào gōngyù de shuǐdiànfèi dàgài duōshǎo qián yī gè yuè?)
Excuse me, about how much is the utility bill (water and electricity) for this apartment per month?
When to use alternatives:
- If you are only talking about electricity, say 电费. For example, "My electricity bill was very high this month because I used a lot of AC." (我这个月电费很高，因为我开了很多空调。)
- If you are only talking about water, say 水费. For example, "I paid the water bill already." (我水费已经交了。)
- If you need to discuss the gas bill specifically, use 燃气费 or 煤气费.
- When talking about the overall cost of living in an apartment, remember to factor in 物业费 and 房租 in addition to 水电费.
How Formal Is It?
"请您按时缴纳水电费用。 (Qǐng nín àn shí jiǎo nà shuǐ diàn fèi yòng.) - Please pay the utility expenses on time."
"我每个月都要交水电费。 (Wǒ měi gè yuè dōu yào jiāo shuǐ diàn fèi.) - I have to pay the utility bill every month."
"这月水电费真高！ (Zhè yuè shuǐ diàn fèi zhēn gāo!) - This month's utility bill is so high!"
"爸爸妈妈要交水费电费了。 (Bà ba mā ma yào jiāo shuǐ fèi diàn fèi le.) - Mom and Dad need to pay the water and electricity bills."
"这个月水电多少钱？ (Zhè ge yuè shuǐ diàn duō shǎo qián?) - How much is the water and electricity this month?"
Fun Fact
Many Chinese utility bills combine water and electricity charges, making '水电费' a very common and practical term.
Grammar to Know
Nouns can be combined to form a new compound noun. The new noun's meaning is derived from the constituent nouns.
水 (water) + 电 (electricity) + 费 (fee) = 水电费 (utility bill, specifically water and electricity).
The character 费 (fèi) often means 'fee' or 'expense' and is commonly appended to other nouns to denote a charge for that item or service.
学费 (xué fēiy) - tuition fee (学 xué - to study/learn), 停车费 (tíng chē fèi) - parking fee (停车 tíng chē - to park a car).
When discussing bills, you can use 交 (jiāo) meaning 'to pay' or 'to hand over'.
交水电费 (jiāo shuǐ diàn fèi) - to pay the utility bill.
To specify which utility bill, you can remove parts of the compound. For example, 'water bill' is 水费 (shuǐ fèi) and 'electricity bill' is 电费 (diàn fèi).
我需要付水费 (wǒ xū yào fù shuǐ fèi) - I need to pay the water bill. 这月电费很高 (zhè yuè diàn fèi hěn gāo) - This month's electricity bill is very high.
水电费 is a common noun and can be used with measure words like 张 (zhāng) for a piece of paper (like a bill) or 笔 (bǐ) for a sum of money (like an expense).
我收到一张水电费账单 (wǒ shōu dào yī zhāng shuǐ diàn fèi zhàng dān) - I received a utility bill (账单 zhàng dān - bill/invoice). 这是一笔很大的水电费 (zhè shì yī bǐ hěn dà de shuǐ diàn fèi) - This is a large utility expense.
Examples by Level
我需要付水电费。
I need to pay the utility bill.
这个月的水电费很高。
This month's utility bill is high.
你交水电费了吗？
Did you pay the utility bill?
水电费账单来了。
The utility bill has arrived.
房租不包括水电费。
Rent does not include utility bills.
请问水电费多少钱？
Excuse me, how much is the utility bill?
我的水电费每个月都不同。
My utility bill is different every month.
他忘了付水电费。
He forgot to pay the utility bill.
我每个月都要交水电费。
I have to pay the utility bill every month.
The structure '每个月都' (měi gè yuè dōu) means 'every month' and emphasizes regularity.
这个月的水电费比上个月高。
This month's utility bill is higher than last month's.
The comparative structure '比...高' (bǐ... gāo) is used to compare two things.
房东说水电费不包括在租金里。
The landlord said the utility bill is not included in the rent.
'不包括在...里' (bù bāokuò zài... lǐ) means 'not included in...'.
我们忘了交水电费，所以停电了。
We forgot to pay the utility bill, so the power was cut.
'所以' (suǒyǐ) means 'therefore' or 'so', indicating a consequence.
你可以上网查水电费。
You can check the utility bill online.
'上网' (shàngwǎng) means 'go online' or 'surf the internet'.
请问水电费什么时候交？
Excuse me, when should I pay the utility bill?
'请问' (qǐngwèn) is a polite way to ask a question, meaning 'excuse me'.
我刚收到这个月的水电费账单。
I just received this month's utility bill.
'刚' (gāng) indicates that an action just happened.
为了省钱，我们要节约水电费。
To save money, we need to conserve on utility bills.
'为了...要...' (wèile... yào...) means 'in order to... need to...'.
我每个月都要交水电费。
I have to pay the utility bill every month.
这个公寓的租金不包含水电费。
The rent for this apartment does not include utility bills.
请问水电费大概是多少？
Excuse me, how much is the utility bill approximately?
忘记交水电费会被停水停电。
Forgetting to pay the utility bill will result in water and electricity being cut off.
我们可以网上支付水电费。
We can pay the utility bill online.
夏天空调开多了，水电费就很高。
When the air conditioning is used too much in summer, the utility bill is very high.
他上个月的水电费比平时多了很多。
His utility bill last month was much higher than usual.
这栋楼的水电费是单独计算的。
The utility bills for this building are calculated separately.
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
我需要付水电费。
I need to pay the utility bill.
这个月的房租不包括水电费。
This month's rent does not include the utility bill.
水电费账单还没来。
The utility bill statement hasn't arrived yet.
你交水电费了吗？
Have you paid the utility bill?
我们家的水电费很贵。
Our family's utility bill is very expensive.
请问水电费多少钱？
Excuse me, how much is the utility bill?
每个月都要交水电费。
You have to pay the utility bill every month.
房东会帮我们算水电费。
The landlord will help us calculate the utility bill.
我可以在网上付水电费吗？
Can I pay the utility bill online?
水电费是分开算的。
The utility bill is calculated separately.
Word Family
Nouns
Verbs
Word Origin
水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi) is a compound word formed by combining several characters.
Original meaning: 水 (shuǐ) means water, 电 (diàn) means electricity, and 费 (fèi) means fee or expense. So, literally, it means 'water electricity fee'.
Sino-Tibetan, Sinitic, Mandarin ChineseCultural Context
When renting an apartment in China, it's very common to discuss who is responsible for paying the 水电费. Sometimes these bills are paid directly to the utility companies, and sometimes they are collected by the landlord. It's an essential part of budgeting for daily life.
Test Yourself 54 questions
每个月我都要付___。
The sentence means 'Every month I have to pay ___'. '水电费' (shuǐdiànfèi) means utility bill (water and electricity), which fits the context of paying something monthly.
这个月的___有点贵。
The sentence means 'This month's ___ is a bit expensive'. '水电费' (shuǐdiànfèi) refers to utility bills, which can be expensive, making it the most suitable option.
你付了___吗？
The sentence means 'Have you paid the ___?'. '水电费' (shuǐdiànfèi) is something people pay regularly.
我们家的___是三百块。
The sentence means 'Our family's ___ is 300 yuan'. '水电费' (shuǐdiànfèi) is a common expense that would be measured in yuan.
请问，___在哪儿交？
The sentence means 'Excuse me, where can I pay the ___?'. People often ask where to pay utility bills.
他忘了交___。
The sentence means 'He forgot to pay the ___'. Forgetting to pay utility bills (水电费) is a common occurrence.
Choose the correct translation for '水电费'.
水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi) specifically refers to the bill for water (水) and electricity (电).
Which of these would you typically pay monthly for your apartment?
Utility bills like water and electricity are common monthly expenses for an apartment.
If your landlord asks you to pay '水电费', what are they asking for?
水电费 directly translates to water (水) electricity (电) fee (费), so it's the bill for these utilities.
In China, '水电费' usually includes the internet bill.
水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi) only covers water and electricity. Internet (网络费 - wǎngluòfèi) is usually a separate bill.
You pay '水电费' before you use the water and electricity.
水电费 (shuǐdiànfèi) is a bill, which means you pay it after you have used the services.
The character '水' in '水电费' means water.
Yes, '水' (shuǐ) means water, and it's the first character in 水电费.
This sentence means 'I paid the utility bill.' The standard Chinese sentence structure is Subject + Verb + Object.
This sentence asks 'How much is this month's utility bill?' In Chinese, question words like '多少钱' often come at the end of the sentence.
This means 'The utility bill here is very high.' '的' is used to show possession or to connect a descriptive phrase to a noun.
Listen for a question about high utility bills.
Listen for a question about when to pay the utility bill.
Listen for someone who forgot to pay their utility bill.
Read this aloud:
下个月的水电费会涨价吗？
Focus: zhang jia (涨价)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
我需要去银行交水电费。
Focus: yin hang (银行)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
Read this aloud:
我们家这个月的水电费比上个月多了。
Focus: bi shang ge yue duo le (比上个月多了)
You said:
Speech recognition is not supported in your browser. Try Chrome or Edge.
The correct order is '我' (I) + '交' (paid) + '水电费' (utility bill) + '了' (indicates completion).
The correct order is '这个月' (This month) + '水电费' (utility bill) + '太' (too) + '高' (high) + '了' (indicates exclamation).
The correct order is '你' (You) + '今天' (today) + '交' (paid) + '水电费' (utility bill) + '了' (indicates completion) + '吗' (question particle).
You are explaining to a new expatriate in China how to manage their monthly expenses, specifically focusing on how to pay their水电费. Describe the common methods and any tips you have for them.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
在中国，支付水电费非常方便。你通常可以通过手机银行App，比如支付宝或微信支付来缴费。每个月你会收到水电费账单，上面会有详细的金额和截止日期。记住要按时支付，以免产生滞纳金。
Imagine you are renting an apartment in China. Your landlord just informed you that the水电费 has significantly increased this month. Write a short email to your landlord asking for clarification and suggesting possible reasons for the increase.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
尊敬的房东：您好！我注意到这个月的水电费账单金额比平时高出很多。请问是否有特殊原因导致费用增加？方便提供一下水电费的详细账单吗？我想核实一下。谢谢！
You are writing a short social media post for other expats, sharing your experience dealing with a surprisingly low水电费 one month. Explain why you think it was low and what you did differently.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
嘿，大家！这个月的水电费居然出奇地低，简直不敢相信！我想可能是因为我最近更注意随手关灯、拔掉不用的电器插头，而且淋浴时间也缩短了。看来这些小习惯真的能帮我省下不少水电费呢！
根据短文，小李为什么没收到水电费账单？
Read this passage:
小李最近搬了新家，但一直没收到水电费账单。他给物业打电话询问，物业告诉他，新住户需要先到指定地点登记个人信息并绑定银行卡，水电费才会自动从卡里扣除。小李恍然大悟，立刻前往办理。
根据短文，小李为什么没收到水电费账单？
短文中明确提到“新住户需要先到指定地点登记个人信息并绑定银行卡，水电费才会自动从卡里扣除”，所以小李没收到账单是因为他还没办理这些手续。
短文中明确提到“新住户需要先到指定地点登记个人信息并绑定银行卡，水电费才会自动从卡里扣除”，所以小李没收到账单是因为他还没办理这些手续。
根据短文，智能家居如何帮助用户管理水电费？
Read this passage:
随着智能家居的普及，许多家庭开始使用智能电表和水表。这些智能设备不仅能实时监控水电使用情况，还能帮助用户分析用电用水习惯，从而更有效地管理水电费开支。有些智能系统甚至能自动预测下个月的水电费。
根据短文，智能家居如何帮助用户管理水电费？
短文中提到“这些智能设备不仅能实时监控水电使用情况，还能帮助用户分析用电用水习惯，从而更有效地管理水电费开支”。
短文中提到“这些智能设备不仅能实时监控水电使用情况，还能帮助用户分析用电用水习惯，从而更有效地管理水电费开支”。
王阿姨通过什么方法降低了水电费？
Read this passage:
王阿姨一家五口人，过去每个月的水电费都居高不下。后来，她听从了邻居的建议，将家里的老旧电器全部换成了节能型产品，并且教育家人要节约用水用电。几个月下来，她发现水电费明显下降了，全家都很开心。
王阿姨通过什么方法降低了水电费？
短文中明确写道“她听从了邻居的建议，将家里的老旧电器全部换成了节能型产品，并且教育家人要节约用水用电”。
短文中明确写道“她听从了邻居的建议，将家里的老旧电器全部换成了节能型产品，并且教育家人要节约用水用电”。
每个月按时缴纳___是公民的基本义务。
Contextually, paying utility bills (水电费) is a basic civic duty, fitting the sentence structure and meaning best.
由于忘记交___，我家昨天被停水停电了。
The consequence of water and electricity being cut off directly points to forgetting to pay the utility bill (水电费).
现在很多地方都可以通过手机APP方便地缴纳___。
Mobile apps are commonly used for paying utility bills (水电费), making this the most logical fit.
房东明确表示，房租不包含___，需要租客自行承担。
It's common for rental agreements to separate rent from utility bills (水电费), which tenants pay themselves.
为了节约开支，我们家开始注意节约用水用电，以降低每月的___。
Saving water and electricity directly reduces the utility bill (水电费).
新搬来的邻居对如何办理___的自动扣款业务感到困惑。
New residents often need to set up automatic payments for recurring bills like utilities (水电费).
Imagine you're renting an apartment in China. Write a short paragraph to your landlord asking about the monthly utility bill (水电费) and how it's calculated. Include questions about water and electricity usage, and express your desire to understand the billing system.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
房东您好，我想了解一下每月的1水电费是怎么算的？包括水费和电费的具体计算方式，以及我如何能知道自己的用水量和用电量。谢谢您的帮助。
You are discussing household expenses with a Chinese friend. Write a few sentences describing how high utility bills (水电费) can be a concern, especially during extreme weather, and suggest ways to save energy.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
最近水电费真是一个大开销，尤其是在夏天或者冬天，空调和暖气一开，费用就蹭蹭往上涨。我觉得我们应该想办法省电省水，比如随手关灯，洗澡的时候不要浪费水。
You're writing a blog post about living in China for expats. Explain what '水电费' refers to, how it's typically paid (e.g., online, at convenience stores), and what new residents should be aware of regarding utilities.
Well written! Good try! Check the sample answer below.
Sample answer
在中国的日常生活中，'水电费'指的是水费和电费。通常可以通过手机APP在线支付，也可以在便利店或银行缴费。新来的朋友需要注意，有些公寓的水电费是按月结算，有些是根据实际用量，所以最好提前问清楚。
根据短文，小李收到高额水电费账单的主要原因是什么？
Read this passage:
小李最近搬了新家，第一个月就收到了高额的水电费账单。他仔细查看后发现，原来是他的空调几乎全天候开放，导致电费飙升。他决定从下个月开始，晚上睡觉时将空调调到睡眠模式，白天出门前务必关掉所有不必要的电器，希望能有效节省开支。
根据短文，小李收到高额水电费账单的主要原因是什么？
短文中明确提到“他的空调几乎全天候开放，导致电费飙升”，所以空调使用时间过长是主要原因。
短文中明确提到“他的空调几乎全天候开放，导致电费飙升”，所以空调使用时间过长是主要原因。
王阿姨为什么喜欢去便利店交水电费？
Read this passage:
王阿姨每次交水电费都喜欢去小区门口的便利店。她说这样方便快捷，而且店员还会帮忙核对账单，避免出错。虽然现在网上支付越来越普及，但王阿姨觉得面对面的服务更让人放心。
王阿姨为什么喜欢去便利店交水电费？
短文中提到“王阿姨觉得面对面的服务更让人放心”，这是她选择便利店的主要原因。
短文中提到“王阿姨觉得面对面的服务更让人放心”，这是她选择便利店的主要原因。
智能家居系统在水电费管理方面有哪些优点？
Read this passage:
随着智能家居的普及，很多家庭开始尝试通过智能系统管理家里的水电费。比如，通过手机APP可以实时监控用水用电情况，设定电器自动开关时间，甚至在离家时远程关闭所有电源。这种方式不仅方便，还能帮助居民更好地控制能源消耗，达到节能减排的目的。
智能家居系统在水电费管理方面有哪些优点？
短文指出智能家居可以“实时监控用水用电情况，设定电器自动开关时间，甚至在离家时远程关闭所有电源”，这些都属于监控和控制能源消耗的范畴。
短文指出智能家居可以“实时监控用水用电情况，设定电器自动开关时间，甚至在离家时远程关闭所有电源”，这些都属于监控和控制能源消耗的范畴。
The standard sentence structure in Chinese is subject-verb-object. '别忘了' (don't forget) is a common introductory phrase, followed by the verb '付' (pay) and the object '水电费' (utility bill).
In this sentence, '每月水电费' (monthly utility bill) acts as the subject. '都' (all/both) is an adverb indicating that this is consistently true, and '很高' (very high) describes the state of the utility bill.
This sentence uses the '把' construction, which is common for indicating how something is dealt with. '请' (please) starts the request, followed by '把', then the object '这份水电费账单' (this utility bill), the verb '寄' (mail), and finally '给我' (to me).
/ 54 correct
Perfect score!
