Meaning:

Literally meaning “watery courses,” this term was coined by college students to refer to courses that are not demanding and are easy to pass. As the teachers themselves are not proficient or not very devoted to teaching, they tend to go easy on the students and give them good scores. The use of the Chinese character “水” (shuǐ, meaning “water”) here derives from the term “water-injected meat,” which carries an implication of poor quality.

Example:

A: 你上学期选的社会学入门，有意思吗？

Nǐ shàng xuéqī xuǎn de shèhuìxué rùmén，yǒu yìsī ma？

You selected a course named “introduction to sociology” last semester. Was it interesting?

B: 很容易过，老师学生都不认真，水课。

Hěn róngyì guò，lǎoshī xuéshēng dōu búrènzhēn ，

shuǐkè。

It’s easy to pass. The teacher is not demanding and the students are not diligent. The course is a sham.