1.
small boat — a small watercraft, typically propelled by oars, poles, or a small sail, used on rivers, lakes, or along the coast
A small watercraft such as a rowboat, canoe, or skiff. 舟 evokes a traditional, human-powered vessel and is contrasted with the larger character 船, which is used for ships and larger modern boats. Both are read ふね, but the choice of kanji conveys a difference in scale and register.
舟に乗る。
To get on a small boat.
川に小さな舟が浮かんでいる。
A small boat is floating on the river.
漁師は毎朝舟をこいで湖に出ていく。
The fisherman rows out onto the lake on his small boat every morning.
舟 and 船 share the same reading but are written with different kanji depending on the size and type of vessel.
USAGE:
- 舟 is used for small, often traditional craft — rowboats, canoes, sampans, and the like — especially when they are human-powered or very modest in size.
- 船 is the general and modern term, used for ships, ferries, and larger boats of any kind.
- In ambiguous cases or everyday writing, 船 is the default. 舟 is chosen to evoke a smaller, more rustic, or literary image.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 舟に乗る: to get on a (small) boat
- 舟をこぐ: to row a boat (also idiomatic for nodding off to sleep)
- 舟を出す: to launch a boat; to set out in a boat
- 小さな舟: a small boat
- 渡し舟: a ferry boat (across a river)
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 船: ship, boat (general) — preferred for larger modern vessels such as ferries, cargo ships, and passenger ships.
- {ボート}: boat — the English loanword, common for rowboats or pleasure craft such as those in parks.
- 舟艇: small craft — a technical term, used in military or maritime contexts.
CULTURAL NOTE:
The idiom 舟をこぐ literally means 'to row a boat' but is commonly used to describe someone nodding off to sleep, since the up-and-down motion of the head resembles the motion of rowing.