Japanese word

艦

Pronunciation

Romajikan

Meaning

  • nounwarship

Example

あの艦は港に入ります。a no kan wa minato ni hai ri ma su

That warship enters the port.

Illustration for 艦 (warship)

More examples

海軍は新しい艦を建造しています。kai gun wa atara shi i kan o ken zō shi te i ma su

The navy is building a new warship.

Core concept

Refers to a vessel whose main role is military activity rather than transport or trade.

Common phrases

  • 艦を建造するkan o ken zō su ru

    build a warship

  • 艦を整備するkan o sei bi su ru

    maintain a warship

  • 艦に乗るkan ni no ru

    serve aboard a warship

Similar words

軍艦gunkan: A ship designed to serve in armed military operations.
船fune: A vessel used for transport, trade, travel, or other purposes on water.
艦艇kantei: A naval vessel, including both large ships and smaller military craft.

Definition in Japanese

戦闘などの軍事活動に用いる船。sen tō na do no gun ji katsu dō ni mochi i ru fune

Word origin

The character 艦 (kan, "warship") was borrowed from Chinese with the Sino-Japanese reading kan and denotes a large vessel used for warfare.

Usage tips

  • 艦 (kan) is a formal term often used in news and discussions of naval vessels, while 船 (fune) is the broader everyday word for a ship.

Word lists with this word