Kanji: 舷 (Ship's Side)
The kanji 舷 specifically refers to the "side of a ship" or "gunwale." It is almost exclusively used in a nautical context.
Key Reading:
On-yomi (Sino-Japanese reading): ゲン (gen)
Common Words & Usage:
舷 (gen) - Noun. The side of a ship or boat.
舷側 (gengawa) - Noun. The ship's side, the area along the hull.
右舷 (ungen) - Noun. Starboard (the right side of a ship when facing forward).
左舷 (sagen) - Noun. Port (the left side of a ship when facing forward).
Example Sentence:
Japanese: 乗客たちは舷側に集まり、港に向かって手を振った。
Romaji: Jōkyaku-tachi wa gengawa ni atsumari, minato ni mukatte te o futta.
English: The passengers gathered at the ship's rail and waved towards the port.
Learning the correct stroke order for kanji like 舷 is essential for balanced, legible Japanese handwriting and is a fundamental part of mastering kanji writing.