Chinese word

舵手

Pronunciation

Pinyinduò shǒu

Meaning

  • nounhelmsman

Example

船上有个老舵手。chuán shàng yǒu gè lǎo duò shǒu

There is an old helmsman on the boat.

Illustration for 舵手 (helmsman)

More examples

暴风雨来临时，经验丰富的舵手迅速调整航向，避免了触礁。bào fēng yǔ lái lín shí jīng yàn fēng fù de duò shǒu xùn sù tiáo zhěng háng xiàng bì miǎn le chù jiāo

When the storm approached, the experienced helmsman quickly adjusted the course and avoided running aground.

Core concept

The person at the steering handle who keeps a boat on its intended course.

Common phrases

  • 经验丰富的舵手jīng yàn fēng fù de duò shǒu

    experienced helmsman

  • 船上的舵手chuán shàng de duò shǒu

    ship's helmsman

Similar words

船长chuán zhǎng: The person who commands a ship, directs its voyage, and has final responsibility for safety.
领导者líng dáo zhě: A person who guides a group or organization and decides its main direction.

Definition in Chinese

掌舵并直接操作舵柄以引导船只航向的人。zhǎng duò bìng zhí jiē cāo zuò duò bǐng yǐ yín dǎo chuán zhī háng xiàng de rén

Word origin

舵手 (duòshǒu, "helmsman") combines 舵 (duò, "rudder") with 手 (shǒu, "hand"), presenting the person who works the rudder.

Usage tips

  • The person steering a vessel may be different from its captain, who has overall command, so these roles are not automatically the same.

Related words

  • 副舵手fù duò shǒuassistant helmsmannoun

Word lists with this word