船
JLPT N3
Ship, boat
Readings
On’yomi: セン (sen)
Kun’yomi: ふね, ふな (fune, funa)
• ふね – boat, ship
• ふな – (used in compounds related to ships)
Structure
Composition:
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Detailed Explanation
Vocabulary
船
ふね
ship
船長
せんちょう
captain
客船
きゃくせん
passenger ship
船便
ふなびん
shipping service
漁船
ぎょせん
fishing boat
Example Sentences
船に乗ります。
ふね に のります。
I board a ship.
船長です。
せんちょう です。
He is a captain.
客船が来ます。
きゃくせん が きます。
A passenger ship arrives.
船便で送ります。
ふなびん で おくります。
I send it by ship.
漁船です。
ぎょせん です。
It is a fishing boat.
Cultural Note
⚓ Japan, as an island nation, has deep ties to the sea — and 船 appears in many aspects of its culture.
• Ancient Japan relied on ships for trade, fishing, and cultural exchange.
• Shinto shrines sometimes feature boat-shaped offerings (舟形) for safe voyages.
• In idioms, “同じ船に乗る” (“to be on the same boat”) means to share the same fate or situation.
• Ancient Japan relied on ships for trade, fishing, and cultural exchange.
• Shinto shrines sometimes feature boat-shaped offerings (舟形) for safe voyages.
• In idioms, “同じ船に乗る” (“to be on the same boat”) means to share the same fate or situation.