How to Write 舯 (zhōng) — Meaning “midship”

Picture a long boat (舟) with a big, bold "中" drawn right in its center to mark the midship section. The right side looks like a flag at the middle of the deck, reminding you that 舯 means the middle of a ship. This visual link between boat and center makes the character easy to recall.

The left radical 舟 has 6 strokes and should be written a bit narrower, while the right part 中 has 4 strokes and should be slightly wider to keep balance. A common mistake is making the two sides equal in width, which looks unbalanced. Also, ensure the horizontal strokes in 中 line up roughly with the middle area of 舟.

舯 (zhōng) means midship, specifically the middle section of a large vessel. 舡 (gāng) generally means "boat" and can also be a surname, but has no special positional meaning. 舢 (shān) refers to a small wooden boat called a sampan, which is entirely different in size and usage from the midship concept.

舯 is a technical nautical term used mainly in shipbuilding and maritime engineering, such as in the common word 船舯 (midship) and 舯部 (midship part). You won't find it in everyday conversation or HSK vocabulary. It appears in specialized documents about ship design, for example describing the 舯剖面 (midship section) of a hull.

Common words containing 舯 include: 船舯 (chuán zhōng) — Midship; 舯部 (zhōng bù) — midship part; 舯剖面 (zhōng pōu miàn) — midship section.