飞船

• Pinyin: fēi chuán
• Hanzi breakdown: 飞 = simplified from 飛, bird with wings spread; 船 = 舟 (boat) + 㕣 (phonetic) — flying boat

Meaning

Spacecraft; spaceship. A vehicle designed for travel or operation in outer space.

Used for both manned and unmanned spacecraft. Key terms: 载人飞船 (manned spacecraft), 神舟飞船 (Shenzhou spacecraft, China's manned program), 宇宙飞船 (spaceship). China's space program has been a source of national pride, with frequent news about 飞船 launches.

Examples

1. 神舟十五号飞船成功与空间站对接，三名航天员顺利进入。 Shenzhou-15 spacecraft successfully docked with the space station, and the three astronauts entered smoothly.
2. 小时候我梦想当宇航员，坐飞船去探索外太空。 When I was a kid, I dreamed of becoming an astronaut and taking a spacecraft to explore outer space.
3. 这艘飞船预计在轨运行六个月后返回地球。 This spacecraft is expected to return to Earth after six months of operation in orbit.

Usage Guide

Context: space, technology, news

Tone: descriptive

Do Say

• 中国的飞船技术越来越先进了。(China's spacecraft technology is getting more and more advanced.)
• 飞船成功返回，航天员都安全着陆。(The spacecraft returned successfully, and all astronauts landed safely.)

Don't Say

• 把飞机说成飞船 (Don't call an airplane a 飞船 — 飞船 specifically means spacecraft; airplanes are 飞机)

Origin & History

Compound of 飞 (fly) + 船 (ship). Literally 'flying ship' — a ship that flies through space.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal