扁舟 (piān zhōu) — (literary) small boat, skiff

Definition

A literary/poetic word for a small, often solitary boat. Strongly associated with classical imagery of wandering or seclusion (隐逸), unlike everyday terms like 船 or 小船.

noun
(literary) small boatskiff
Measure word · 条

Examples

  • 扁舟，。
    Tā dú zì jià zhe yí yè piān zhōu, zài hú shàng piāo bó.
    He drifted alone on the lake in a small skiff.
  • 扁舟。
    Shī rén cháng yǐ piān zhōu jì tuō yǐn yì zhī qíng.
    Poets often use the image of a small boat to express their longing for seclusion.
  • 扁舟，，。
    Jiāng shàng piān zhōu, suí fēng ér qù, lìng rén xīn kuàng shén yí.
    The small boat on the river, drifting with the wind, brings a sense of peace and relaxation.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

扁biǎnsmall
舟zhōuboat

扁, small or flat, describes 舟, a boat, giving the literary image of a little skiff.

Characters in this word

Two or more meaningful parts placed together so that their meanings combine into a new one.

  • 戶戶hùdoor
  • 冊冊cèbamboo tablets

扁 is made from 戶 (door) and 冊 (bamboo tablets), giving the idea of inscribing on a door or of two flat, thin things.

Open 扁 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

舟 was originally a drawing of a boat.

Open 舟 →

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