Translation guide
A person who dives, especially as a job or sport.
A person who works underwater, such as in construction, salvage, or pearl diving.
Standard term for a professional diver, often used in legal or occupational contexts.
彼は潜水士として働いています。
He works as a diver.
Common loanword for a diver, used broadly for both professional and recreational contexts.
プロのダイバーになるには訓練が必要です。
You need training to become a professional diver.
Traditional female free-diver, especially for shellfish and pearls. Culturally specific.
海女さんが海に潜って貝を取ります。
Ama divers dive into the sea to collect shellfish.
Male counterpart to 海女, but less common. Refers to a male free-diver.
その村には海士もいます。
There are also male divers in that village.
A person who dives for fun or sport, such as scuba diving or cliff diving.
The most common term for a recreational scuba diver or sports diver.
週末にダイバーたちが海に集まります。
Divers gather at the sea on weekends.
A more formal or technical term for a person who dives, used in manuals or official contexts.
潜水者は安全に注意しなければなりません。
Divers must pay attention to safety.
Specifically a scuba diver. Used when the type of diving needs to be clear.
彼女は経験豊富なスキューバダイバーです。
She is an experienced scuba diver.
An animal or bird that dives into water, such as a diving duck or a whale.
General term for diving birds like loons or grebes.
潜水鳥は魚を捕るために深く潜ります。
Diving birds dive deep to catch fish.
Alternative term for diving bird, less common.
潜り鳥の一種であるカイツブリを見ました。
I saw a grebe, a type of diving bird.
潜水士 is a formal, often legally defined term for professional divers, while ダイバー is a casual loanword used for both professional and recreational divers. In everyday conversation, ダイバー is more common.
For sports like soccer (diving as simulation), do not use ダイバー. Instead, use terms like シミュレーション (simulation) or 飛び込み (diving).