This letter describes a computational investigation into the hydrolysis mechanism of carbonyl compounds. Hydrolysis has previously been thought to be a very well-understood process. The molecules formaldehyde (CH2O), formyl chloride (HCOCl), and phosgene (COCl2) were used to probe the initial steps of the hydrolysis mechanism. A combination of quantum mechanics calculations and application of Bader's AIM analysis was used to study the mechanism. The results show that the carbon-oxygen double bond is more akin to the polarized bond between phosphorus and oxygen rather than to a true double bond such as that found in ethylene. Further, the results show that the initial step of the reaction is formation of a strongly hydrogen-bonded complex as opposed to direct addition of a nucleophile to the carbonyl center. Finally, the results show that chlorine plays a substantial role in stabilizing the carbocationic center resulting from the initial hydrogen bond formation. These results strongly suggest the mechanism of carbonyl hydrolysis is more subtle and complex than previously thought.