Definitions

zhōu (noun) boat; ship

Etymology

Pictograph of a boat.

About

The character for "boat" or "vessel", originating from a straightforward pictographic depiction of a small, hollowed craft viewed from above, has maintained its essential structural form with little alteration across millennia, reflecting the enduring simplicity of its represented object. Its primary meaning as a waterborne conveyance remains constant, yet it also functions as a semantic component in numerous characters related to transportation or movement, such as in the character for "rudder", and occasionally serves a phonetic role in others. This semantic stability, coupled with its utility as a building block in the writing system, underscores its fundamental role in expressing concepts of travel and conveyance without significant deviation from its original pictorial intent.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Oracle etymology image
Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Shang dynasty (~1100 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Qin dynasty (221-206 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Western Zhou (~900 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Late Western Zhou (~800 BC)
Bronze etymology image
Bronze Mid Warring States (~300 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)
Seal etymology image
Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)
Clerical etymology image
Clerical Cao Wei (Three Kingdoms: 222-280 AD)
Traditional Modern
Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他划着小过河。

Tā huá zhe xiǎo zhōu guò hé.

He rowed a small boat across the river.

我们计划周末去湖上泛

Wǒmen jìhuà zhōumò qù hú shàng fàn zhōu.

We plan to go boating on the lake this weekend.

车劳顿之后,他需要好好休息。

Zhōuchē láodùn zhīhòu, tā xūyào hǎohāo xiūxi.

After the fatigue of the journey, he needed a good rest.

端午节有赛龙的传统活动。

Duānwǔjié yǒu sài lóngzhōu de chuántǒng huódòng.

The Dragon Boat Festival has the traditional activity of dragon boat racing.

现代物流早已不是简单的车运输。

Xiàndài wùliú zǎoyǐ bù shì jiǎndān de zhōuchē yùnshū.

Modern logistics is no longer just simple transportation by boat and cart.

这艘科研方探索着海洋的奥秘。

Zhè sōu kēyán fāngzhōu tànsuǒ zhe hǎiyáng de àomì.

This scientific research ark explores the mysteries of the ocean.

他的职业生涯宛如一叶风雨中的扁

Tā de zhíyè shēngyá wǎnrú yī yè fēngyǔ zhōng de piānzhōu.

His professional career is like a small boat in the wind and rain.

他们决心同共济,克服公司面临的困难。

Tāmen juéxīn tóngzhōugòngjì, kèfú gōngsī miànlín de kùnnán.

They are determined to pull together in times of trouble to overcome the difficulties the company faces.