Chinese word

船

Pronunciation

Pinyinchuán

Meaning

  • nounboat

Example

这艘船很大。zhè sōu chuán hěn dà

This boat is very big.

Illustration for 船 (boat)

More examples

我们坐船去对岸。wǒ men zuò chuán qù duì àn

We take a boat to the other shore.

Core concept

A vehicle that floats on water and carries people or things, whether it is a small boat or a large ship.

Common phrases

  • 坐船zuò chuán

    take a boat

  • 上船shàng chuán

    board a boat

Similar words

轮船lún chuán: A large motor-powered ship that travels long distances on seas or large waterways.
渡轮dù lún: A boat that makes regular short trips to carry people or cars across water.
渔船yú chuán: A small boat used by people who catch fish.
小船xiǎo chuán: A small boat designed to carry only a few people.

Definition in Chinese

指在水上航行或停泊、用来承载人员或货物的交通工具，包括小艇、帆船、轮船等各种船舶。zhǐ zài shuǐ shàng háng xíng huò tíng bó yòng lái chéng zài rén yuán huò huò wù de jiāo tōng gōng jù bāo kuò xiáo tǐng fān chuán lún chuán děng gè zhǒng chuán bó

Word origin

船 (chuán, "boat") is 舟 (zhōu, "boat") + 㕣 (yǎn, "sound marker"), with the first part showing the meaning and the second helping show the pronunciation.

Usage tips

  • English often uses boat for a smaller craft and ship for a larger one, but Chinese uses 船 (chuán, "boat") for both, so the size comes from the situation.

Other meanings

  • shipnoun

Related words

Word lists with this word