遊輪 / 游轮
yóulún
In Chinese, cruise ship is 遊輪 / 游轮 (yóulún). Wiktionary also lists 遊船 / 游船 (yóuchuán).
Meaning: passenger ship (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 遊輪 / 游轮 | yóulún |
| 遊船 / 游船 | yóuchuán |
The term 遊輪 / 游轮 is used to describe large-scale passenger cruise ships. It is often used interchangeably with the formal term 邮轮.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 遊輪 / 游轮 is composed of 遊, meaning to roam or cruise and 輪, meaning wheel or vessel.
Which one should you use?
遊輪 / 游轮 specifically refers to large-scale cruise ships, whereas 遊船 / 游船 typically refers to smaller pleasure boats or excursion vessels. While 遊船 / 游船 is also composed of 遊 (to roam/cruise) and 船 (boat/ship), it implies a much smaller scale than a cruise ship.
How do you pronounce it?
yóulún
Did you know?
- In Chinese, the word 輪 used in 遊輪 originally meant 'wheel'. This reflects the early transition from paddle-wheel steamers to modern cruise ships.
- The character 輪 (lún) in 遊輪 (yóulún) is the same character used for 'tire' or 'wheel' on a car.
- If you ask for a 遊船 (yóuchuán) in a harbor, you will likely be directed to a small wooden boat or a ferry rather than a massive luxury liner.
Examples in context
- 我们计划乘坐邮轮去旅行。We plan to travel by cruise ship.
- 这艘邮轮是非常豪华的。This cruise ship is very luxurious.
- 邮轮旅游是一种非常受欢迎的度假方式。Cruise tourism is a highly popular vacation option.
- 我们打算坐游轮环游世界。We plan to travel around the world by cruise ship.
- 这艘豪华邮轮真是太漂亮了！This luxurious cruise ship is so beautiful!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cruise ship” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
