船 (chuán) - boat, ship, vessel — a watercraft of considerable

船Tone 2

chuán ｜ 11 strokes ｜ radical:

橙丁

船 · chuán

boat, ship, vessel — a watercraft of considerable size designed for transportation on water.

boat, ship, vessel — a watercraft of considerable

Usage highlights

shipboatsailboatsteamshipfishing boatwarship

Synonyms

  • 舟— boat (more literary or classical)
  • 舰— warship, naval vessel
  • 舸— large boat, barge

Antonyms

  • 车— vehicle, car (land transportation)
  • 陆— land (as opposed to water)

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • We took a boat across the river (坐船过河).
  • The ship sails on the ocean (船在海上航行).
  • This is a fishing boat (这是一艘渔船).
  • They built a wooden boat (他们造了一艘木船).

Collocations

  • ship(船)
  • boat(船)
  • sailboat(帆船)
  • steamship(轮船)
  • fishing boat(渔船)
  • warship(军舰)

Idioms

  • To mend the fold after the sheep have been stolen(亡羊补牢，犹未为晚)
  • To sail against the current(逆水行舟)
  • To be in the same boat(同舟共济)
  • To capsize in the gutter(阴沟里翻船)
  • A boatload of songs and poems(一船诗词歌赋)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • 船 has been essential in Chinese history for transportation, trade, and fishing along major rivers and coasts.
  • In idioms, 船 often symbolizes shared fate (同舟共济) or precarious situations.
  • 船 appears in historical contexts like Zheng He's treasure ships (郑和宝船) during the Ming dynasty.

FAQ