航海|こうかいkoukai[1]atamadaka (head-high)

JLPT N1approx.Common
Definitions
  1. noun, suru verb, intransitive verb(sea) voyage; navigation; sailing; passage; cruise
    そのヨットは順調じゅんちょうに航海こうかい中ちゅうだ。↗
    The yacht is under smooth sail.
Conjugation
Dictionary form航海する(こうかいする)
Polite (masu)航海します(こうかいします)
Negative (nai)航海しない(こうかいしない)
polite (masen)航海しません(こうかいしません)
classical zu / nu航海せず・航海せぬ(こうかいせず・こうかいせぬ)
Past (ta)航海した(こうかいした)
polite (mashita)航海しました(こうかいしました)
Past negative (nakatta)航海しなかった(こうかいしなかった)
polite (masen deshita)航海しませんでした(こうかいしませんでした)
Te form航海して(こうかいして)
Potential航海できる(こうかいできる)
Passive航海される(こうかいされる)
Causative航海させる(こうかいさせる)
Causative passive航海させられる(こうかいさせられる)
Conditional (ba)航海すれば(こうかいすれば)
tara航海したら(こうかいしたら)
Volitional航海しよう(こうかいしよう)
polite (mashou)航海しましょう(こうかいしましょう)
Imperative航海しろ(こうかいしろ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym航行こうこうNeutralNeutral term for a ship or aircraft proceeding along its course, as in 「航行中」; it stresses the act of moving, while 「航海」 is specifically travel at sea.
  • Synonym船旅ふなたびNeutralA trip taken by boat, as in 「のんびり船旅」; the emphasis is on the journey as travel rather than on the sailing itself.
  • Synonym渡航とこうWrittenIn written/formal prose, crossing to another place by ship or plane, as in 「渡航手続き」; typically for going abroad.
  • SynonymクルーズCasualColloquial loanword for a sightseeing cruise on a passenger ship, as in 「クルーズ船」.
  • Synonym通航つうこうWrittenWritten/formal prose for ships passing through, as in 「通航禁止」; used mostly of straits and canals.
  • Related巡航じゅんこうWrittenWritten/formal prose for cruising, as in 「巡航速度」; used mostly of warships and aircraft.
  • Related帆走はんそうWrittenWritten/formal prose for sailing driven by the wind; used mostly of sailing boats.
  • Related航走こうそうWrittenWritten/formal prose for a ship sailing through the water; rare.
  • Related航するこうするWrittenWritten/formal prose verb for sailing or voyaging; rare — in everyday speech say 「航海する」 or 「航行する」.

Use 「航海」 for a long sea voyage by ship, as in 「大航海時代」 or 「航海日誌」. For moving along a course say 「航行」, for crossing to another place 「渡航」, for a sightseeing cruise 「クルーズ」, and for a trip by boat 「船旅」. 「巡航」 is written prose for cruising, mainly warships and aircraft; 「航走」「帆走」「航する」 are rare written words for sailing, and 「通航」 for ships passing through straits or canals.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. 船舶せんぱくで海うみを渡わたること。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents

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

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