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道Nihongo Path
艦

艦·warship

On-yomi
カン
Kun-yomi
none

By Nihongo PathUpdated

Stroke order

Write it in this order; the numbers mark where each stroke starts.

21 strokes, numbered in writing order. Data: KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Common words

WordReadingMeaning
軍艦ぐんかんwarship
艦隊かんたいfleet
潜水艦せんすいかんsubmarine
艦長かんちょうcaptain of a warship

Example sentences

  1. 港に艦隊が集まっている。

    みなとにかんたいがあつまっている。

    A fleet is gathering in the harbor.

  2. 潜水艦は静かに海に潜った。

    せんすいかんはしずかにうみにもぐった。

    The submarine quietly dived beneath the sea.

Similar-looking kanji

Do not confuse these on the exam.

Common mistakes

  • Reading 軍艦 as ぐんけん
  • Using 艦 for civilian ships — merchant vessels are 船 or 船舶; 艦 is naval

Memory aid

Picture it

舟 (boat) plus 監 (to watch over): the ship that patrols and keeps watch — a warship.

Vocabulary using this kanji

Quick check

1 / 2Multiple choiceDifficulty 4 of 5

What does the kanji 艦 mean?