船桨

• Pinyin: chuán jiǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 船 = 舟 (boat) + 㕣 (phonetic) = boat; 桨 = 木 (wood) + 将 (will, phonetic) = oar

Meaning

Oar; paddle. A pole with a flat blade used to propel a boat through water.

Refers to the implement used for rowing boats. Can be used literally or in poetic/literary contexts. Common in descriptions of traditional boats, small watercraft, or rural river scenes.

Examples

1. 渔夫用力划动船桨，小船慢慢向前移动。 The fisherman rowed the oars vigorously, and the small boat slowly moved forward.
2. 他们丢失了一只船桨，只能用手划水。 They lost one oar and could only paddle with their hands.
3. 古镇的河道上，船娘摇着船桨唱着山歌。 On the canals of the ancient town, boatwomen rock their oars while singing folk songs.

Usage Guide

Context: boating, descriptive, literary

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 划船时要两只船桨同时用力。(When rowing, you need to use both oars at the same time.)
• 木制的船桨比塑料的更有手感。(Wooden paddles feel better than plastic ones.)

Don't Say

• 用船桨打人 (While technically possible, 船桨 is neutral — for describing violence, context matters)

Origin & History

Compound of 船 (boat) and 桨 (oar, paddle). 桨 contains 木 (wood) indicating the material.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal