舷 meaning and stroke order
Bulwarks, gunwhale
How to write 舷, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 舷
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- side of a ship or an aircraft
How 舷 is built
Phono-semantic (sound + meaning) character. Ship.
舟 gives the meaning and 玄 hints at the sound.
Radical: 舟 (boat), shared by 35 characters on this site.
How to remember 舷
舷 (xián) puts 舟 (zhōu, boat) on the left for meaning and 玄 (xuán) on the right for sound. Picture the dark 玄 water slapping against the side of a 舟 boat.
舷 means the side of a ship or aircraft and almost always appears in compound words rather than alone. Common ones are 左舷 (zuǒxián, port side), 右舷 (yòuxián, starboard), and 舷窗 (xiánchuāng, porthole or aircraft window). Example: 请从右舷下船。(Qǐng cóng yòuxián xià chuán.) Please leave the ship on the starboard side.
Common mistake: Learners often read 舷 as xuán because of the phonetic 玄, but the correct reading is second tone xián. Also do not confuse it with 弦 (xián, string), which has the same sound but uses 弓 (bow) instead of 舟.
Common words with 舷
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 右舷 | yòuxián | starboard (of a ship) | |
| 左舷 | zuǒxián | port (side of a ship) |
Questions about 舷
How many strokes are in 舷?
舷 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 舷 mean?
舷 (xián) means bulwarks, gunwhale. A common word with it is 右舷 (yòuxián), meaning "starboard (of a ship)".
How do you pronounce 舷?
舷 is pronounced xián, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 舷?
The radical of 舷 is 舟, which carries the idea of "boat". Dictionaries list 舷 under this radical.
Which side is 左舷 and which is 右舷?
左舷 (zuǒxián) is the port side, the left side when facing the front of the ship. 右舷 (yòuxián) is the starboard side, the right side when facing forward.
Can 舷 be used for airplanes too?
Yes. The dictionary sense covers the side of an aircraft as well as a ship. 舷窗 (xiánchuāng) is the usual word for the small windows on both planes and ships.