船

• Pinyin: chuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 船 = 舟 (boat radical, pictograph of a canoe) + 㕣 (phonetic component)

Meaning

Boat; ship. A general term for watercraft of any size.

Covers all types of watercraft, from small rowboats to large ships. In compound words: 轮船 (steamship), 小船 (small boat), 帆船 (sailboat), 渔船 (fishing boat).

Examples

1. 我们坐船过河吧。 Let's take a boat across the river.
2. 海上有很多大船。 There are many large ships on the sea.
3. 这条小船可以坐四个人。 This small boat can seat four people.

Usage Guide

Context: travel, water, transport

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 我们坐船去那个岛。(Let's take a boat to that island.)
• 这艘船很大。(This ship is very big.)

Don't Say

• 不要用个作为船的量词 — 大船用艘 (sōu), 小船可以用条 (tiáo). Do not use 个 for boats.

Origin & History

Contains 舟 (boat radical) and 㕣 (phonetic component). The 舟 radical is a pictograph of a dugout canoe.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal