海船 (hǎi chuán) — seagoing vessel, ocean-going ship

Definition

noun

seagoing vesselocean-going ship

Measure word · 艘

海船。
Zhè sōu hǎi chuán kě yǐ háng xíng dào hěn yuǎn de dì fāng.
This seagoing vessel can sail to very distant places.
海船。
Tā men chéng zuò hǎi chuán héng dù le dà xī yáng.
They crossed the Atlantic Ocean on an ocean-going ship.
海船。
Gǎng kǒu tíng zhe jǐ sōu dà xíng hǎi chuán.
Several large seagoing vessels are docked at the port.

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.

A 船 for the 海, an ocean-going vessel.

Characters in this word

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

氵每海

Meaning part形符xíngfú

氵Written in full as水shuǐwater

Sound part声符shēngfú

每

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

海 pairs 氵 (water) with 每, which gives the sound. The 氵 side shows it is about water.

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

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.