leon4 syun4輪船轮船
Jyutpingleon4 syun4
Yalelèuhn syùhn
Definition
Steamship or motor vessel; any ship propelled by machinery.
neutraltransport
How it's used
Refers specifically to large, mechanically propelled vessels rather than small wooden boats or sampans. While technically correct, it sounds slightly formal or old-fashioned in daily speech, as people often just use 船 to refer to any boat regardless of its propulsion method.
Measure word
sau2艘sáuExamples
That motor ship just entered the harbor.
Related words
Common mistake
Avoid using this for small recreational boats or traditional fishing vessels, as it implies a large, industrial scale. Stick to the general term 船 for most everyday contexts to avoid sounding overly technical.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
