How to say "sailor" in Japanese

• 船員せんいんCommon
  nounCovers 'sailor' in the occupational sense: a seaman or seafarer who works on a ship as a job. This is the usual word for crew members of merchant or commercial vessels.
  レインジャー隊たいは船員せんいんの救助きゅうじょに向むかうことを決きめた。↗

  The rangers decided to go to the sailor's rescue.
• 海兵かいへいCommon
  nounThis word matches 'sailor', but its core sense is 'marine' — a naval military service member. For an ordinary civilian sailor it is seldom the word you want; it is really a military term.
• 船乗りふなのりCommon
  nounA general word for a sailor, seaman, or mariner — someone who goes to sea. Its nuance is broad and somewhat literary or narrative, suited to describing seafaring people rather than a job title.
  上手じょうずな船乗ふなのりはほんの短時間たんじかんで船ふねになれる。↗

  A good sailor only requires a short time to get his sea legs.

Use 船員 for a sailor as a profession aboard a ship, 海兵 mainly for naval/military personnel, and 「船乗り」 for a sailor or mariner in a general, narrative sense.

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

• 船員せんいんsailor
• 海兵かいへいsailor
• 船乗りふなのりsailor
• セーラーsailor
• 水夫すいふsailor
• 船人ふなびとsailor
• マドロスsailor
• 海員かいいんsailor
• 水兵すいへい(naval) sailor