战船 (zhàn chuán) — warship | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

A warship, with connotations of older or historical vessels (wooden ships, ancient/period navies). For modern military ships, 军舰 is the standard term.

noun

warship

Measure word · 艘

Examples

战船。
Gǔ dài de zhàn chuán zhǔ yào yòng mù tou hé fān lái háng xíng.
Ancient warships mainly used wood and sails to navigate.
战船。
Zhè sōu zhàn chuán zài hǎi shàng xíng shǐ le sān tiān sān yè.
This warship sailed on the sea for three days and three nights.
战船。
Diàn yǐng lǐ zhǎn xiàn le yì chǎng jī liè de zhàn chuán duì zhàn.
The movie showed a fierce warship battle.

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.

战 means war and 船 means ship, so 战船 is a warship.

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.

占戈战

Meaning part形符xíngfú

Sound part声符shēngfú

占

占zhàn战zhàn

Same sound today

战 pairs 占, which gives its sound, with 戈, a weapon.

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.

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