クルーザー
kurūzā
The English word cruiser (as a class of warship) can be translated into Japanese as either 巡洋艦 or クルーザー (kurūzā).
Meaning: class of warships (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| クルーザー | kurūzā | |
| 巡洋艦 | jun'yōkan | [d͡ʑɨ̃ɰ̃jo̞ːkã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
Both terms refer to a cruiser warship, though they are used in different contexts.
What does it mean word for word?
The formal term 巡洋艦 is composed of three parts: 巡 (patrol/circulate), 洋 (ocean) and 艦 (warship).
Which one should you use?
The term 巡洋艦 is the formal, technical term used in military and historical contexts to refer to a cruiser warship.
How do you pronounce it?
kurūzā
Did you know?
- If you use the katakana version クルーザー, a Japanese person might assume you are talking about a luxury motorboat or a pleasure yacht rather than a military vessel.
- The word 巡 in 巡洋艦 is the same character used in 巡礼, which means 'pilgrimage'. Both words share the root concept of a circuit or a journey that returns to a starting point.
- The character 洋 in 巡洋艦 doesn't just mean 'ocean', but specifically refers to the 'Western' or 'foreign' oceans. This historically distinguished deep-sea cruisers from ships used in the 'inner seas' of East Asia.
Examples in context
- 私は最新のクルーザーが好きです。I like the latest cruiser.
- その船は大型クルーザーです。That ship is a large cruiser.
- アメリカからのクルーザーが港に入ってきました。A cruiser from the United States has entered the port.
- あのクルーザー、かっこいいね！That cruiser looks cool!
- クルーザーを見てみたいんだけど。I'd like to see a cruiser, you know.
Example conversation
Ren and Himari are looking at a military history book.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵、この大きな船を見て。Himari, kono ookina fune o mite.Himari, look at this big ship.
- 陽葵 Himariこれはクルーザーなの？kore wa kurūzā nano?Is this a cruiser?
- 蓮 Renそうだよ。とても強力な船だね。sou da yo. totemo kyouryoku na fune da ne.Yes, it is. It's a very powerful ship.
- 陽葵 Himariすごい迫力だね、蓮。sugoi hakuryoku da ne, Ren.It's very impressive, Ren.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “cruiser” translations and entries 巡洋艦, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
