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汽船 (きせん, kisen) Japanese meaning: steamship | Kotomora

汽き船せん

き

せ

ん

Common word›JLPTN1›Freq.FrequencyTop 100,000

Meanings

1

steamship; steamboat; steamer

Refers to a ship powered by steam. Common in historical and modern contexts, though less frequent today with the decline of steam-powered vessels.

汽き船せんが港みなとに入はい

っ

て

き

た

。

A steamship came into the harbor.

昔むかしは汽き船せんで川かわを渡わたっていた。

In the old days, people crossed the river by steamboat.

Usage patterns

〈場ば所しょ〉から〈場ば所しょ〉まで汽き船せんで行いくto travel from one place to another by steamship
横よこ浜はまから函はこ館だてまで汽き船せんで行いった。
We traveled from Yokohama to Hakodate by steamship.
汽き船せんに乗のるto board a steamship
明めい治じ時じ代だいの人ひと々びとは汽き船せんに乗のって外がい国こくへ渡わたった。
People in the Meiji era crossed overseas by boarding steamships.

Kanji

汽vapor, steam
船ship, boat

Related words

蒸じょう気き船せん
蒸気船 is the more technical, literal term for a steam-powered vessel, while 汽船 is the everyday word used for the same kind of ship.
船ふねN5
船 is the general word for any boat or ship, while 汽船 specifically means a steam-powered vessel.
蒸じょう気きN2
汽船 is the standard word for a steamship, while 蒸気 is used only as an informal abbreviation with this meaning, mostly in older or compound usage.

Opposites

帆はん船せん
帆船 is propelled by wind and sails, whereas 汽船 is a steamship driven by a steam engine.

Don't confuse with

汽き車しゃN4
汽船 is a steamship that travels on water, while 汽車 is a steam locomotive/train that runs on rails; learners often mix up the 汽- prefix.

Counted with

隻せき
For ships and large vessels.
艘そう
For boats, especially small ones; large ships usually take 隻.

Word family

汽き船せん積ずみ
shipment by steamer

Etymology

Compound of 汽 (steam) and 船 (ship). The kanji 汽 is used specifically for steam-powered vessels.