How to say "airplane" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

飛行機ひこうきJLPT N5approx.Common
nounThe ordinary word for an airplane or aircraft of any kind. Use this in virtually all everyday contexts, such as travel by plane or planes in the sky.
あなたは飛行機ひこうきで旅行りょこうしたことがありますか。↗
Have you ever traveled by air?
乗機じょうき
nounA much less common word meaning an airplane as manned or piloted by someone. It is rarely the word learners want for 'airplane'; 飛行機 is the natural choice.

Use 飛行機 for airplanes in general; 乗機 is a less common term used for a manned aircraft, typically specified by who is aboard.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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