How do you say "sailor" in Chinese?

水手

shuǐ shǒu

Noun Hanzi

In Chinese, "sailor" is 水手 (shuǐ shǒu).

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Pronunciation

Aim for "shuǐ shǒu" when you say it, "shuǐ" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3), then "shǒu" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3).

Writing and usage

水手 is written using hanzi. It's a noun, part of the vocabulary taught in the Noun Town language learning game.

Example sentence

水手驾驶船只穿越风暴。

shuǐ shǒu jià shǐ chuán zhī chuān yuè fēng bào 。

The sailor steered the ship through the storm.

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How to remember 水手

Whisper "shuǐ shǒu" to yourself while picturing the word in action — that pairing helps "水手" (shuǐ shǒu) stay put.

Related words

Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.

Questions about 水手

How do you pronounce 水手?

Aim for "shuǐ shǒu" when you say it, "shuǐ" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3), then "shǒu" is dipping down and curling back up (tone 3).

Is 水手 formal or casual?

水手 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech.

How is 水手 used in Chinese?

水手 is used the same way as the equivalent English noun. For example: 水手驾驶船只穿越风暴。 (The sailor steered the ship through the storm.).

Where can I practice Chinese words for free?

You can play free Chinese minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, no sign-up required. Every word in the Chinese glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Sailor" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Chinese language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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