船
fune[sẽ̞ɴ]
The English word "ship" is translated into Japanese as 船 (fune). Wiktionary also lists 船舶 (senpaku).
Meaning: large water craft (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 船 | fune | [sẽ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| 船舶 | senpaku | [sẽ̞mpa̠kɯ̟] (narrow) |
The term 船 is a broad, general word used to refer to anything from a small boat to a large ship.
Which one should you use?
While 船 is the common word for a ship, 船舶 is a more formal or technical term often used in legal, maritime or administrative contexts. For military ships or warships, the formal term 艦船 is used.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
fune
Did you know?
- Japanese has a specific term, 船酔い, which describes the physical sensation of seasickness by literally combining the words for 'ship' and 'drunkenness'.
- Ancient Japanese ships, known as 和船, were traditionally built without using any nails, relying instead on complex joinery and wooden pegs.
- In Japanese, the word 船 is used in the idiom 船を出す, which can mean to start a business or embark on a new venture.
Examples in context
- 船を離れろ。Abandon ship!This sentence is useful for the command to abandon a ship using 船.Tatoeba #141083 by KK_kaku_, translation #273489 by CK
- 貨物船だよ。It's a cargo ship.This sentence is useful for identifying a cargo ship using 船.Tatoeba #10651787 by small_snow, translation #2258975 by _undertoad
- 船が沈んでいく。The ship is sinking.This sentence is useful for describing a ship that is sinking using 船.Tatoeba #141178 by KK_kaku_, translation #273394 by CK
- 私は船の旅が好きです。I like traveling by ship.
- あの大きな船はクルーズ船です。That big ship is a cruise ship.
- その国は最新の艦船を保有しています。That country possesses the latest warships.
- 我々は敵の艦船を追跡する必要があります。We need to track the enemy's warships.
- その港にはたくさんの船舶が停泊していました。Many ships were anchored at that harbor.
- 船舶の安全には十分気をつけてください。Please be careful about ship safety.
- 週末にボートで川を探検します。I will explore the river by boat on the weekend.
- ボートの上から海の風景を楽しみましょう。Let's enjoy the ocean view from the boat.
- 71 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Kenta are looking at the ocean from a pier.
- 美咲 Misaki大きな船が見えるよ。Ookina fune ga mieru yo.I can see a large ship.
- 健太 Kenta本当だ、すごいね。Hontou da, sugoi ne.You're right, it's amazing.
- 美咲 Misakiあの船はどこへ行くのかな？Ano fune wa doko e iku no kana?I wonder where that ship is going?
- 健太 Kentaきっと遠い国へ行くんだろう。Kitto tooi kuni e iku ndarou.It's probably going to a distant country.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “ship” translations and entries 船, 船舶, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
