How to Write 舭 (bǐ) — Meaning “bilge (of a ship)”

Imagine a ship (舟) with two side-by-side compartments (比) at the bottom where water collects — that is the bilge. The two "比" shapes look like two parallel pipes or channels running along the inside of the hull.

注意左边舟的写法: the inner horizontal stroke of 舟 should be written from left to right and is slightly shorter than the top stroke. The right part 比 has two components: the left side has a horizontal stroke that does not touch the vertical stroke, and the right side shows a clear downward hook. Keep the whole character balanced, with the left side slightly narrower than the right.

舭 (bǐ) specifically means the bilge area of a ship. In contrast, 舡 (chuán) is an old variant of 船 meaning boat, and 舢 (shān) refers to a sampan (small wooden boat). Visually, 舭 has the right component 比, while 舡 has 工 (work) and 舢 has 山 (mountain) — these give completely different meanings and pronunciations.

舭 is a technical term used mainly in shipbuilding, naval architecture, and marine engineering, such as in 舭部 (bilge area) and 舭龙骨 (bilge keel). It is not common in everyday conversation. Culturally, knowing this character helps read professional documents about ship design or maintenance.

Common words containing 舭 include: 舭部 (bǐ bù) — bilge area; 舭龙骨 (bǐ lóng gǔ) — bilge keel; 船舭 (chuán bǐ) — Ship bilge.