母艦

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 母艦(ぼかん) refers to a main vessel that supports aircraft or smaller vessels.
• Basic usage: It describes a ship serving as a base for returning aircraft or resupplying small boats.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• What the vessel supports
  • 航空母艦(こうくうぼかん) is an aircraft carrier. 母艦 alone can also refer to a vessel supporting smaller boats, so it should not always be narrowed to an aircraft carrier.