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轮船 (lún chuán) — steamship, steamer, steamboat

Definition

轮船 (lún chuán) is a large motor-powered vessel for transporting cargo or passengers over long distances at sea — bigger and more powerful than a sightseeing 游船.

noun
steamshipsteamersteamboat
Measure word · 艘

Examples

  • 轮船。
    Zhè sōu lún chuán cóng shàng hǎi kāi wǎng niǔ yuē.
    This steamship sails from Shanghai to New York.
  • 轮船。
    lún chuán Shàng zài mǎn le huò wù.
    The steamship is loaded with cargo.
  • 轮船。
    Yé ye nián qīng shí zài lún chuán shàng dàng guò chuán zhǎng.
    Grandpa once served as a captain on a steamship when he was young.

Origin

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 輪; 轮 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
車車jūcarriage
Sound part声符shēngfú
侖
侖lún輪lún
Same sound today

The traditional form 輪 uses 車, a carriage, and 侖 for the sound; the simplified 轮 is a later shorthand.

Open 轮 →

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 →
Appears in
HSK 3.0 Level 6HSK 2.0 Level 6Boats & Water TravelVehicles

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