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船桨 — pronunciations, definitions, and tags
HanziPinyinEnglishTags
船桨oarHSK 7, unknown, 21 strokes, rank #36128, Very Hard
  1. 1oar
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March 24, 2026

船桨

船桨 (chuánjiǎng) refers to a 'boat oar' or 'paddle' used for propelling a boat through water. It is commonly used in contexts related to boating, canoeing, and similar activities where manual propulsion is required. The word combines '船' (chuán) meaning 'boat' and '桨' (jiǎng) meaning 'oar' or 'paddle'.

Strokes21Frequency#36128DifficultyVery Hard
Cultural note

In Chinese culture, traditional dragon boat racing is a popular event, particularly during the Duanwu Festival. Here, 船桨 plays a crucial role in the race, highlighting its cultural significance in teamwork and competition.

Memory tip

Think of a boat (船) with a large paddle (桨) slicing through the water. Imagine the sound of the paddle dipping into the lake, propelling the boat forward. The '舵' (duò) looks somewhat like the boat’s steering wheel, while '桨' (jiǎng) sounds like 'jiang,' which can remind you of 'jank,' a quick motion to push through water.

Meanings of 船桨

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In English

What does 船桨 mean in English?

船桨

About 船桨

船桨Simplified
21Strokes
—Radical
#—Frequency Rank
HSK 3.0L7AdvancedTOCFLL5CEFRC2

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AI study notes for 船桨

Quick Contrast

桨 (jiǎng) vs 划桨 (huájiǎng) — 船桨 specifically refers to the oar itself, while 划桨 emphasizes the action of rowing with the oar.

Usage Notes

Common mistakes include using 船桨 in contexts unrelated to watercraft, as it specifically refers to oars or paddles. Be mindful of the tone; '桨' has a falling tone, and mispronouncing it could lead to confusion with similar-sounding words. It's often used in both formal and informal contexts, but is particularly common in conversations about water sports.

HSK Study Tips

船桨 is not in the HSK levels but can be associated with HSK 3 vocabulary like 船 (boat) and 水 (water). Students should focus on understanding how compound words are formed in Mandarin and practice using them in sentences related to activities on water.

Common Mistakes

Learners often confuse 船桨 with 船 (boat) alone, forgetting that 船桨 specifically refers to the paddle. For example, saying '我有船' (I have a boat) when they mean to say 'I have a paddle' is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我有船桨'.

AI-enhanced 2026-03-24

Pronunciation of 船桨

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Component characters

船chuánship, boat, vessel
HSK 311 strokes舟
View full entry
桨jiǎngoar
HSK 710 strokes木
View full entry

How to say oar in Chinese

“oar” in Chinese is船桨

船桨 (chuánjiǎng) refers to a 'boat oar' or 'paddle' used for propelling a boat through water. It is commonly used in contexts related to boating, canoeing, and similar activities where manual propulsion is required. The word combines '船' (chuán) meaning 'boat' and '桨' (jiǎng) meaning 'oar' or 'paddle'.

When to use 船桨

Common mistakes include using 船桨 in contexts unrelated to watercraft, as it specifically refers to oars or paddles. Be mindful of the tone; '桨' has a falling tone, and mispronouncing it could lead to confusion with similar-sounding words. It's often used in both formal and informal contexts, but is particularly common in conversations about water sports.

船桨 or something close to it

桨 (jiǎng) vs 划桨 (huájiǎng) — 船桨 specifically refers to the oar itself, while 划桨 emphasizes the action of rowing with the oar.

What learners get wrong

Learners often confuse 船桨 with 船 (boat) alone, forgetting that 船桨 specifically refers to the paddle. For example, saying '我有船' (I have a boat) when they mean to say 'I have a paddle' is incorrect; the correct phrase would be '我有船桨'.

Write 船桨

船
桨

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Frequently asked questions about 船桨

It is pronounced as 'chuánjiǎng', with the first syllable 'chuán' having a rising tone and the second syllable 'jiǎng' having a falling tone.

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