摇船 (yáo chuán) — to row a boat

Definition

A colloquial verb meaning to row a boat by hand — the action of using oars. Often used as a separable verb (摇船 / 摇了船 / 摇过船).

verb
to row a boat
Easily confused

Examples

  • 摇船。
    Tā měi tiān zǎo chén dōu zài hú shàng yáo chuán.
    He rows a boat on the lake every morning.
  • ，。
    Wǒ men yáo le yí gè xiǎo shí de chuán, shǒu dōu suān le.
    We rowed a boat for an hour, and our hands got sore.
  • ？
    Nǐ yǐ qián yáo guò chuán ma?
    Have you ever rowed a boat before?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
动宾dòngbīnVerb + object

An action followed by what it acts on, fused into one word.

摇yáorow
船chuánboat

摇 (row) + 船 (boat) means to propel a boat by rowing.

Characters in this word

No reliable origin is recorded for this character.

Open 摇 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
舟舟zhōuboat
Sound part声符shēngfú
㕣
㕣㕣船
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

船 pairs 舟 (boat) with 㕣 for its sound.

Open 船 →

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