船・舟・槽|ふねfune[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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Which spelling to use
船船 is the most common written form of this word and the recommended choice for beginners; use it as your default when writing the word.
舟舟 is a less common kanji-only written form of the same word; recognize it as a variant, but choose 船 when you write it.
槽槽 is the least common written form among these variants. Recognize it if encountered, but use 船 rather than 槽 when writing the word.
Definitions
- nounship; boat; watercraft; vessel; seaplane舟 is often small and hand-propelled
- nountank; tub; vat; trough
- noun (suffix), countercounter for boat-shaped containers (e.g. of sashimi)
Synonyms & antonyms
- Synonym船舶せんぱくFormalFormal term for ships and vessels, common in laws and shipping, as in 「船舶免許」; in everyday speech people just say 「船」.
- Synonym舟艇しゅうていWrittenWritten-style word for small boats and craft, seen in military and rescue contexts like 「上陸用舟艇」; it does not cover large ships.
- SynonymシップNeutralLoanword that mostly appears as a suffix in compounds like 「フラッグシップ」; it is rarely used on its own to mean a ship.
Use 「船」 by default. For legal or shipping contexts choose 「船舶」; for small boats, especially military or rescue craft, 「舟艇」. 「シップ」 is mostly a loanword suffix in compounds and rarely stands alone.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only
Japanese definitions
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also
