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舶 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
舶bósea-going vesselsng, 11 strokes, radical 舟, rank #73175, Very Hard
舶bóshipng, 11 strokes, radical 舟, rank #73175, Very Hard
舶bólarge ship, ocean-going vesselng, 11 strokes, radical 舟, rank #73175, Very Hard
bó(bo2) T2
  1. 1sea-going vessels
  2. 2ship
Listen to the audio pronunciation 3 times to gain XP
March 24, 2026

舶bó(bo2)

The character 舶 (bó) refers to large sea-going vessels or ships, particularly those used for ocean travel. It is commonly used in contexts relating to maritime activities, shipping industries, and transportation by sea.

Strokes11Radical舟Frequency#73175DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural Note

In Chinese culture, maritime trade has a significant history, particularly during the Tang and Song dynasties when trade across the seas flourished. The character 舶 reflects this legacy of shipping and commerce.

Memory Tip

Imagine a big boat (舶) bobbing on the waves of the ocean. The left part of the character resembles a ship's hull ('船' - boat), while the right part suggests movement ('白' - white) as it sails smoothly across the sea. Think of 'bó' as the sound of waves lapping against the side of a large ship.

Meanings of 舶

bó(bo2)
1sea-going vessels
2ship
Exercise 1 of 2

Listen & Choose the Meaning

Choose the correct answer:

About 舶

舶Simplified
11Strokes
舟Radical
名语素míngcínoun root (n.root)Part of Speech
#65535Frequency Rank

Podcast: 舶

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Podcast: 舶

Listen to Jason & Amy break down this word for you

AI Study Notes for 舶

Quick Contrast

船 (chuán) refers to boats or ships in general, while 舶 (bó) specifically denotes larger sea-going vessels.

Usage Notes

In formal contexts, 舶 is often used in technical or legal language related to shipping. Common mistakes include confusing it with smaller vessels like 船 (chuán), which means 'boat.' Remember that 舶 specifically denotes larger ships.

HSK Study Tips

While 舶 is not in the HSK vocabulary list, it connects with related maritime terms such as 船 (chuán) and 货船 (huòchuán - cargo ship). Focus on pronunciation and recognizing its usage in maritime contexts to enhance your vocabulary.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 舶 (bó) with 船 (chuán), mistakenly using 舶 when they mean to say 'boat.' For example, saying '我有一艘舶' (I have a ship) when it should be '我有一艘船' (I have a boat).

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 舶

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Etymology of 舶

Formation Typepictophonetic
六书 ClassificationPhono-semantic (形声字)~80-90% of characters
Explanation

Phonosemantic compound. 舟 represents the meaning and 白 represents the sound.

Memory Hint

ship

Semantic (meaning)舟
+
Phonetic (sound)白
Learn more about Phono-semantic (形声字) characters

Jason Etymology Detective

Case file: 舶

Phonosemantic compound. 舟 represents the meaning and 白 represents the sound.

  1. 1The meaning half舟 carries the sense.
  2. 2The sound half白 is there for the reading, not the meaning.
  3. 3The giveawayship
  4. 4On the record aspictophonetic.

Every clue here comes from the character's recorded structure — nothing is guessed.

Want the full history of 舶? Jason searches the paleographic record, weighs the competing accounts and judges the popular story.

Charged once for this character — everyone reads it afterwards.
Exercise 1 of 1

Character Formation Type

What type of character formation is 舶?

Decomposition of 舶

IDS Structure⿰舟白
舶Full Character
=
舟zhou1
left
白Bai2
right
Exercise 1 of 2

Identify the Components

Which of these is a component of 舶?

How to say sea-going vessels in Chinese

“sea-going vessels” in Chinese is舶bó

The character 舶 (bó) refers to large sea-going vessels or ships, particularly those used for ocean travel. It is commonly used in contexts relating to maritime activities, shipping industries, and transportation by sea.

When to use 舶

In formal contexts, 舶 is often used in technical or legal language related to shipping. Common mistakes include confusing it with smaller vessels like 船 (chuán), which means 'boat.' Remember that 舶 specifically denotes larger ships.

舶 or something close to it

船 (chuán) refers to boats or ships in general, while 舶 (bó) specifically denotes larger sea-going vessels.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 舶 (bó) with 船 (chuán), mistakenly using 舶 when they mean to say 'boat.' For example, saying '我有一艘舶' (I have a ship) when it should be '我有一艘船' (I have a boat).

Write 舶

舶

Practice writing 舶 stroke by stroke. Watch the animation to learn the stroke order, then try writing it yourself.

Write correctly 3 times to earn XP

Word Family of 舶

Words Containing This Character4
船舶chuánbóshipping
舶来品foreign goods舶來品
舶bóship
中国船舶工业集团China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC)中國船舶工業集團
Exercise 1 of 4

Compound Meaning

What does 船舶 mean?

Frequently Asked Questions about 舶

No, 舶 is more technical and used in specific contexts related to shipping and maritime activities.

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