艦 means “warship”

かん · kan

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

カン

JLPT N1 · Taught in secondary school · 21 strokes

The story

A boat (舟) that oversees (監): a warship keeping watch over the sea. 戦艦大和 and its twin 武蔵 were the largest battleships ever built, a 艦隊 is a fleet, and Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force calls its destroyers 護衛艦, escort ships.

Used in 戦艦 (senkan, battleship), 艦隊 (kantai, fleet), and 護衛艦 (goeikan, escort ship/destroyer)

More from Ships & Shores

• 艇 small boat
• 搭 embark
• 漂 drift
• 浪 waves
• 涯 limit
• 舶 ship
• 沙 sand
• 帆 sail
• 岬 cape
• 礁 reef
• 汽 steam
• 藻 seaweed

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Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.