How to Write 艉 (wěi) — Meaning “Stern (of a ship)”

Picture a boat (舟) and imagine its tail (尾) — the back part of the ship is the stern. So 艉 is like saying 'boat tail' in one character.

Write the radical 舟 first with the horizontal stroke extending slightly right, then the right component 尾. Pay attention: 尾 has a horizontal stroke under 尸, and the final vertical hook should not be too long. Keep the left and right parts balanced.

艉 means stern (ship's rear), 舲 refers to a small boat or cabin, and 舳 means the bow (front) of a ship. Visually, 艉 uses 尾 (tail) on the right, 舲 uses 令, and 舳 uses 由. Each has a distinct right-side component indicating a different part or type of vessel.

艉 appears in technical or nautical contexts, such as 船艉 (ship's stern), 艉灯 (stern light), and 艉轴 (propeller shaft). It is not common in daily conversation but is important for describing ship parts in manuals or maritime discussions.

Common words containing 艉 include: 船艉 (chuán wěi) — Stern; 艉灯 (wěi dēng) — Stern light; 艉轴 (wěi zhóu) — Stern shaft / Propeller shaft.