クルーズ
kurūzu
The Japanese word for cruise is クルーズ (kurūzu) or 巡航.
Meaning: sea voyage (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| クルーズ | kurūzu | |
| 巡航 | junkō | [d͡ʑɨ̃ŋko̞ː] (narrow) |
クルーズ is used to describe a voyage for leisure or travel experiences. For example, if you want to refer to a cruise ship, you typically combine the katakana with the word for ship to form クルーズ船. 巡航 is used in a technical or mechanical sense, such as describing a vehicle or aircraft maintaining a constant speed or cruising altitude.
Which one should you use?
クルーズ is a loanword specifically used for leisure cruises and travel-related voyages. In contrast, 巡航 refers to the technical state of cruising, such as a plane maintaining a steady flight path.
How do you pronounce it?
kurūzu
Did you know?
- While クルーズ refers to the leisure activity, the word 巡航 shares its first character 巡 with words for 'patrol' or 'circuit', reflecting its origins in naval and military movements.
- While クルーズ is used for leisure, if you were to describe a military cruise missile, you would use the kanji-based term 巡航ミサイル (jun kō misairu).
- If you are talking about a 'cruise control' system in a car, Japanese speakers use the katakana クルーズコントロール rather than the kanji term.
Examples in context
- 新しい英語の先生、トム・クルーズ似のイケメンらしいよ。I heard that the new English teacher is a handsome guy who looks like Tom Cruise.This sentence shows how クルーズ is used when referring to the name Tom Cruise.Tatoeba #3154130 by tommy_san, translation #3179832 by WestofEden
- 私たちはクルーズに参加しました。We participated in a cruise.
- 川クルーズRiver cruise
- 豪華客船のクルーズを予約しました。Gōkakusen no kurūzu o yoyaku shimashita.I booked a cruise on a luxury liner.
- 地中海のクルーズはとても人気があります。Chichūkai no kurūzu wa totemo ninki ga arimasu.Mediterranean cruises are very popular.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hime and Kenta are talking about their vacation plans.
- 陽葵 Himari健太、一緒にクルーズに行かない？Kenta, issho ni kurūzu ni ikanai?Kenta, why don't we go on a cruise together?
- 健太 Kentaいいね！どこに行くの？ii ne! doko ni iku no?That sounds great! Where are we going?
- 陽葵 Himari地中海のクルーズが人気みたいだよ。chichūkai no kurūzu ga ninki mitai da yo.It seems like Mediterranean cruises are popular.
- 健太 Kenta最高だね。ぜひ予約しよう。saikō da ne. zehi yoyaku shiyō.That's the best. Let's definitely book it.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cruise” translations and entries クルーズ, 巡航, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
