救生船 (jiù shēng chuán) — lifeboat | TongTong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

lifeboat

Measure word · 艘

Examples

救生船，。
Chuán shàng pèi bèi le zú gòu de jiù shēng chuán, què bǎo chéng kè ān quán.
The ship is equipped with enough lifeboats to ensure passenger safety.
，救生船。
Tái fēng guò hòu, jiù yuán duì pài chū jiù shēng chuán sōu xún shī zōng yú mín.
After the typhoon, the rescue team dispatched lifeboats to search for missing fishermen.
救生船，。
Měi sōu jiù shēng chuán dōu yǒu zì dòng chōng qì zhuāng zhì, yù shuǐ jí zhǎn kāi.
Each lifeboat has an automatic inflation device that deploys on contact with water.

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.

救生save lives

救jiùsave生shēnglife

动宾Verb + object

救生 means saving lives, and 船 is the 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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

攴攴pū

Sound part声符shēngfú

求

求qiú救jiù

Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 救, 求 gives the sound, and 攴 is the action part.

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

屮屮chèbud
一一yīground

生 shows 屮 (a bud) above 一 (the ground), drawing a sprout coming up from the earth.

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.

Appears in

Boats & Water Travel

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.