客船

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 客船 is read きゃくせん and denotes a ship that carries passengers.
• Basic usage: In 白い客船がゆっくり港に入ってきた。, a white passenger ship slowly entered the harbor.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Purpose of the ship
  • 客船 names a ship by its passenger-carrying purpose; 貨物船 focuses on carrying cargo.
• Size and reading
  • 大型客船, read おおがたきゃくせん, means a large passenger ship. 大型 adds size, while 客船 identifies its basic purpose.