also: すいしゅ · かこ
General term for a sailor or seaman. The reading すいふ is most common; かこ and すいしゅ are rare or archaic.
When he was young, he traveled the world as a sailor.
There were many sailors at the port.
水夫 is an older, more specific word for a common deckhand, while 船員 is the broad modern term for any ship crew member.
水夫 is an older, more literary Japanese term for a sailor, while セーラー is the modern loanword used in casual and fashion contexts.
foremast hand; common sailor
Standard kanji spelling for 'sailor'.
Rare reading for 水夫.
Rare kanji form; also read かこ.
Rare reading for 水手.
Rare kanji form.
Compound of 水 (water) and 夫 (man/laborer). The reading すいふ is the standard Sino-Japanese reading. The readings かこ and すいしゅ are older or less common variants.