Translation and Meaning of: 船 - fune

The Japanese word 「船」 (fune) refers to a "vessel" or "ship." The etymology of the expression comes from characters used to designate objects or means of transportation that move over water. The reading in kanji 「船」 is composed of two main radicals, 舟 (funabito), which by itself means "boat," and 㕣 (hira), which is rarely used alone but contributes to the visual representation of vehicles on water. This composition of ideograms highlights the maritime importance in Japan's culture and history.

The definition of 「船」 is not limited to large vessels. The term also includes small rowboats, motorboats, and even large ships such as ocean liners. In Japan, a country made up of several islands, the presence of boats and ships is essential for transport and commerce. The cultural meaning of 「船」 permeates everyday life and the economic development of the nation, which has historically relied on the sea as a crucial route for connection and a source of livelihood.

Historically, Japan has a rich naval tradition that dates back to ancient times when fishermen and merchants used rudimentary vessels to navigate the seas. Traditional Japanese ships, known as 「和船」 (wasen), are specifically designed for local waters and incorporate building techniques that reflect Japan's cultural identity. These boats are often seen in traditional festivals, where they are adorned and used in ceremonial events, symbolizing the spiritual connection with the sea.

Variations of the word 「船」 include 「船長」 (senchou), which means "ship captain," and 「船員」 (sen'in), which means "crew member or sailor." These terms demonstrate how maritime life is intertwined with social functions and roles within Japanese culture. Additionally, there is a variety of terms related to specific types of vessels, such as 「漁船」 (gyosen) for fishing boats and 「貨物船」 (kamotsusen) for cargo ships, which showcases the diversity and specificity of boat usage in the Japanese context.

Vocabulary

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Synonyms and similar words

• 舟 (ふね) - boat
• ボート (bōto) - Boat (generally small, used for leisure)
• フェリー (ferī) - Ferry (boat that transports people and vehicles between two points)
• 艦船 (かんせん) - Ship (large, used for military or commercial transport)

船

Romaji: fune
Kana: ふね
Type: noun
L: jlpt-n4, jlpt-n3

Translation / Meaning: ship; boat; vessel; transport; vessel; steam

Meaning in English: ship;boat;watercraft;shipping;vessel;steamship

Definition: A large vehicle used to move on water.

Example Sentences - (船) fune

See below some example sentences:

キャプテンは船を操縦するリーダーです。

Kyaputen wa fune wo sōjū suru rīdā desu

The captain is the leader who conducts the ship.

Captain is a leader who controls the ship.

• キャプテン - captain
• は - Topic particle
• 船 - Ship
• を - Direct object particle
• 操縦する - Pilot, control
• リーダー - Leader
• です - Verb to be/estar in the present

岸には小さな船が浮かんでいる。

Gishi ni wa chiisana fune ga ukande iru

A small ship is floating on the shore.

• 岸 - means "coast" or "margin".
• に - is a particle that indicates the location of something.
• は - is a particle that indicates the topic of the sentence.
• 小さな - means "small".
• 船 - means "boat".
• が - It is a particle that indicates the subject of the sentence.
• 浮かんでいる - is a verb that means "floating".

港にはたくさんの船が停まっている。

Minato ni wa takusan no fune ga tomatte iru

At the port

Many ships are docked at the port.

• 港 (minato) - port
• に (ni) - particle indicating location
• は (wa) - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• たくさんの (takusan no) - many
• 船 (fune) - ships
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 停まっている (tomatte iru) - are parked

漁船は海で魚を捕る船です。

Gyosen wa umi de sakana o toru fune desu

A fishing boat is a boat that captures fish at sea.

A fishing boat is a ship that catches fish at sea.

• 漁船 - Fishing boat
• は - Topic particle
• 海 - sea
• で - Location particle
• 魚 - fish
• を - direct object particle
• 捕る - capture
• 船 - boat
• です - Verb "to be" in the present tense

私たちは汽船で旅行する予定です。

Watashitachi wa kyosen de ryokou suru yotei desu

We plan to travel by steamboat.

We plan to travel by steamship.

• 私たちは - We
• 汽船で - From a steamship
• 旅行する - Travel
• 予定です - We planned

空中に浮かぶ風船がきれいです。

Kuuchuu ni ukabu fuusen ga kirei desu

The balloon floating in the air is beautiful.

• 空中に - indicates that something is in the air or in space
• 浮かぶ - verb that means to float
• 風船 - substantive that means balloon
• が - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• きれい - adjective that means beautiful or clean
• です - verb that indicates the existence or state of something, in this case, the beauty of the balloons

船が傾く。

Fune ga katamuku

The ship is tilting.

The ship leans.

• 船 - means "ship" in Japanese.
• が - subject particle in Japanese.
• 傾く - verb that means "inclined" or "tilting" in Japanese.

船が沈没した。

Fune ga chinbotsu shita

The ship sank.

• 船 (fune) - means "ship" or "boat"
• が (ga) - Grammatical particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 沈没した (chinbotsu shita) - verb that means "sank" or "shipwrecked"

船が海を渡っています。

Fune ga umi wo watatte imasu

The ship is crossing the sea.

The ship is crossing the sea.

• 船 - means "boat" in Japanese
• が - Grammatical particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• 海 - means "sea" in Japanese
• を - grammatical particle that indicates the direct object of the sentence
• 渡っています - verb meaning "to cross" or "to sail" in the present continuous tense

船舶は海を渡る。

Funpaku wa umi wo wataru

Ships cross the sea.

The ship crosses the sea.

• 船舶 - means "ship" in Japanese.
• は - topic particle in Japanese, which indicates that the subject of the sentence is "ship".
• 海 - Means "sea" in Japanese.
• を - object particle in Japanese, which indicates that "sea" is the direct object of the action.
• 渡る - means "to cross" or "to cross over" in Japanese, indicating the action the ship is taking.