航
navigate, sail, cruise, fly
Readings
On'yomi
- コウ
Kun'yomi
—
Nanori
- わたる
Meaning
航 centers on traveling across a large body of water or through the air: navigating, sailing, cruising, or flying. The common thread is a vessel moving along a planned route.
Most common words using 航
20 of 258- 航空こうくうN3
aviation; flying
- 航海こうかいN1
(sea) voyage; navigation; sailing; passage; cruise
- 航空機こうくうきN1
aircraft
- 航路こうろN1
(air or sea) route; course; line; run
- 出航しゅっこう
departure (of a boat, plane); setting sail; leaving port; putting out to sea; takeoff
- 渡航とこう
voyage; passage; travelling
- 航行こうこう
cruise; navigation; sailing
- 運航うんこう
operation (of a ship or aircraft route); service; navigation; flight
- 難航なんこうN1
difficult voyage; stormy passage; hard flight
- 就航しゅうこう
entering service (on a route; of a plane or ship); going into commission; being in service
- 巡航じゅんこう
cruise; cruising
- 日航にっこう
Japan Airlines (abbr); JAL
- 航法こうほう
sailing; navigation
- 欠航けっこう
cancellation (of a flight or sea voyage)
- 潜航せんこう
submarine voyage; underwater navigation
- 航続こうぞく
cruising; flight
- 密航みっこう
stowing away; smuggling oneself; clandestine travel abroad
- 航跡こうせき
wake (of a ship or aircraft)
- 来航らいこう
arrival of ships (from abroad); arrival by ship
- 大韓航空たいかんこうくう
Korean Air; KAL
Study
Etymology
航 combines 舟 (boat) with 亢, which likely contributes the sound and may relate to a raised or extended shape, together suggesting a boat moving forward. The exact historical role of 亢 is uncertain.
Meaning mnemonic
A boat 舟 with a raised sail-like shape 亢 on the right: imagine a ship navigating the seas with its sail catching the wind.
Reading mnemonic
For コウ, picture a boat sailing into a cove: cove -> コウ, and the boat navigates safely into the harbor.