How to say "ship" in Japanese

• 船ふねJLPT N4approx.Common
  nounThe everyday word for a ship or boat as a physical watercraft. Use this when simply talking about vessels of any size, such as a ship you see in the harbor or ride across the sea.
  彼かれらは船ふねを岸きしに引き上ひきあげた。↗

  They drew their boat on the beach.
• シップCommon
  nounA loanword meaning ship, used mostly in commercial and trade contexts such as shipping documents and freight terminology. For an ordinary ship, 船 is usually the word you want instead.
• 船舶せんぱくJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounA formal term for ships and vessels, covering watercraft as a category. Typical of legal, technical, and official writing, as in maritime regulations or statistics, rather than casual conversation.
  懐中電灯かいちゅうでんとうは、船舶せんぱく同士どうしとか、街まちの通とおりを走はしっている自動車じどうしゃに向むけて合図あいずを伝つたえる。↗

  Flashing lights transmit messages between ships and to motorists along city streets.
• 送るおくるJLPT N4approx.Common
  godan verb, transitive verbCovers the verb sense 'to ship', meaning to send goods or a package to someone. Use it when a parcel, order, or merchandise is dispatched by any means, not only by sea.
  この手紙てがみを日本にっぽんに送おくってくれませんか。↗

  Could you send this letter to Japan?
• 乗船じょうせんCommon
  nounRefers to boarding a ship or being aboard as a passenger, not to a ship itself. It appears in contexts like embarkation announcements and tickets, so it is not a way to say 'ship' as a noun.

Use 船 for an actual ship or boat, 船舶 for vessels in formal or technical contexts, 「シップ」 mainly in trade jargon, 「送る」 for shipping goods, and 乗船 for boarding or being aboard.

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

• 船ふねship
• シップship
• 船舶せんぱくvessel
• 送るおくるto send
• 船せんship
• 船艇せんていship
• 乗船じょうせんship (carrying someone)