Definitions

chuán (noun) boat; ship; vessel

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. represents the meaning and represents the sound.

Semantic:

About

The character 船, representing a boat or ship, is etymologically a phono-semantic compound formed by the semantic radical 舟, which signifies a boat, and the phonetic component 㕣, which historically indicated its pronunciation. This structural configuration has consistently conveyed the idea of watercraft since its inception in the writing system, with the left radical anchoring its meaning within the domain of nautical vessels. Over time, the semantic scope of 船 has remained steadfastly focused on ships and boats, reflecting a stable conceptualization of maritime transportation without undergoing notable changes in its fundamental meaning. While the character's graphical presentation has experienced some stylistic adjustments, its core composition and interpretative clarity have been preserved, ensuring its enduring link to aquatic conveyance throughout the evolution of the Chinese language.

Example Sentences Hide

河上有一条

Hé shàng yǒu yī tiáo chuán.

There is a boat on the river.

看,那艘很大!

Kàn, nà sōu chuán hěn dà!

Look, that ship is very big!

缓缓离开了港口。

Lúnchuán huǎnhuǎn líkāi le gǎngkǒu.

The steamship slowly left the port.

我们打算坐去旅行。

Wǒmen dǎsuàn zuò chuán qù lǚxíng.

We plan to travel by boat.

渔民们乘着渔出海了。

Yúmín men chéngzhe yúchuán chūhǎi le.

The fishermen went out to sea on their fishing boats.

这艘货正驶向遥远的国家。

Zhè sōu huòchuán zhèng shǐ xiàng yáoyuǎn de guójiā.

This cargo ship is sailing towards a distant country.

在汹涌的波浪中艰难前行。

Xiǎochuán zài xiōngyǒng de bōlàng zhōng jiānnán qiánxíng.

The small boat moved forward with difficulty in the turbulent waves.

他的梦想是建造一艘能环球航行的太阳能

Tā de mèngxiǎng shì jiànzào yī sōu néng huánqiú hángxíng de tàiyángnéng chuán.

His dream is to build a solar-powered boat capable of sailing around the world.