hang4 syun4行船
Jyutpinghang4 syun4
Yalehàhng syùhn
Definition
To work on a ship or boat for a living.
colloquialworktransport
How it's used
Refers specifically to the occupation of working on a merchant vessel or ship, often implying long-term employment rather than just taking a boat trip. It carries a sense of nostalgia for a common working-class profession in Hong Kong's history, often associated with men who spent months or years away at sea.
Examples
He worked as a seaman when he was young and visited many places.
Related words
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with 搭船, which simply means to take a boat as a passenger. 行船 implies the person is a crew member or sailor earning a living, not a traveler.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
