The bonding between oxygen and hydrogen in water is covalent. In a water molecule (H₂O), oxygen shares electrons with two hydrogen atoms through single covalent bonds. Each hydrogen contributes one electron, forming two shared pairs with oxygen. The electrons are shared to achieve a stable electron configuration for both oxygen and hydrogen. The sharing of electrons allows the atoms to satisfy the octet rule, and the resulting molecule has a bent shape. The covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons in the overlapping orbitals of the participating atoms, creating a strong and directional bond between oxygen and hydrogen in water.