chuán

boat

vessel; ship; CL:條|条[tiao2],艘[sou1],隻|只[zhi1]

boat (舟) + compartments (几口) = a proper ship

舟 is the core meaning — a small watercraft. 几 and 口 together suggest the hull's interior: a few open compartments or spaces that make a vessel seaworthy rather than just a raft.

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A low tableSemantic
MouthSemantic
A small boatSemantic

Words with 船

船夫

chuán fū

boatman

造船所

zào chuán suǒ

shipyard

造船

zào chuán

shipbuilding

造船厂

zào chuán chǎng

dockyard

遇难船

yù nán chuán

shipwreck

游船

yóu chuán

pleasure boat

运输船

yùn shū chuán

transport ship

邮船

yóu chuán

mailboat

铁甲船

tiě jiǎ chuán

armored ship

开船

kāi chuán

to set sail

阴沟里翻船

yīn gōu lǐ fān chuán

to meet with unexpected failure (idiom)

集装箱船

jí zhuāng xiāng chuán

container ship

More characters with 舟