Japanese symbol for “boatman”
船長
せんちょう
Romaji: senchou
ship's captain; skipper
In Japanese, boatman is 船長, read せんちょう (senchou).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n ship's captain; skipper
- n length of a ship
- n boatman
Written forms: 船長. Readings: せんちょう、ふなおさ.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “boatman”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 船頭 | せんどう sendou | boatman; oarsman; ferryman |
| 船方 | ふなかた funakata | boatman |
| 梢子 | しょうし shoushi | boatman |
| 船人 | ふなびと funabito | sailor; boatman; passenger |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 風船 | ふうせん fuusen | balloon (toy or decoration) |
| 漁船 | ぎょせん gyosen | fishing boat |
| 船舶 | せんぱく senpaku | vessel; ship; shipping |
| 造船 | ぞうせん zousen | shipbuilding |
| 船橋 | ふなばし funabashi | pontoon bridge; floating bridge |
| 成長 | せいちょう seichou | growth; development; growing up |
| 社長 | しゃちょう shachou | company president; manager; director |
| 会長 | かいちょう kaichou | president (of a society); chairman |
See also: Chinese symbol for “boatman”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.