水夫(すいふ)

すいふ
noun
sailor; seaman; deckhand
1. sailor; seaman; deckhand
A person who works aboard a ship, especially one engaged in manual labor on deck rather than in a commanding or navigating role. The word has a somewhat traditional or literary flavor.
水夫(すいふ)たちが帆(ほ)を張(は)った。
The sailors hoisted the sails.
祖父(そふ)は若(わか)い頃(ころ)、水夫(すいふ)として世界(せかい)を回(まわ)った。
My grandfather traveled around the world as a sailor when he was young.
古(ふる)い小説(しょうせつ)には、嵐(あらし)と闘(たたか)う水夫(すいふ)たちの姿(すがた)がよく描(えが)かれている。
Old novels often depict sailors battling storms.

A compound of 水(すい) (water) and 夫(ふ) (man, laborer). Also read as かこ in classical Japanese. The word evokes traditional seafaring and appears frequently in literature, historical accounts, and stories about the age of sail. In modern maritime usage, 船員(せんいん) or 乗組員(のりくみいん) are the standard terms for crew members.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 水夫(すいふ)として働(はたら)く: to work as a sailor
  • 水夫(すいふ)を雇(やと)う: to hire sailors
  • 水夫(すいふ)長(ちょう): boatswain, chief deckhand

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 船員(せんいん): crew member, seafarer — the modern, official term for anyone working aboard a ship
  • 乗組員(のりくみいん): crew member — used for the crew of ships, aircraft, or spacecraft
  • 船乗り(ふなのり): sailor, mariner — a slightly more colloquial word with a romantic or adventurous connotation
  • 海員(かいいん): seaman, maritime worker — a formal term used in labor law and maritime regulations
general
Added 2026.4.12 19:31
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