How to say "steamer" in Japanese

• 汽船きせんJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounA ship or boat propelled by steam — the nautical 'steamer', never the kitchen utensil. This common word is what you want for vessels, as in a steamer carrying passengers across the bay.
  その汽船きせんは香港ほんこんに立ち寄たちよった。↗

  The liner called at Hong Kong.
• 蒸し器むしき
  nounThe kitchen sense: a device or utensil that cooks food by steaming it. Reach for this when you mean the steamer as a cooking tool, as when a recipe says to steam the vegetables.
• 蒸し鍋むしなべ
  nounA pot for steaming food — the steaming vessel itself rather than the appliance. It can also mean a casserole dish, so pick it when you picture the pot on the stove or table.
• 蒸気船じょうきせん
  nounAlso the nautical sense: a steam-powered ship. It means the same as 汽船 but is the less common of the two, so 汽船 is normally the word you want for the boat.

For the boat, use 汽船 (蒸気船 is a less common synonym); for the kitchen utensil that cooks food with steam, use 「蒸し器」, or 「蒸し鍋」 when you mean the steaming pot itself.

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

• 汽船きせんsteamship
• 蒸し器むしきsteamer
• 蒸し鍋むしなべsteamer
• 蒸気船じょうきせんsteamship