魚雷

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 魚雷 is a noun read ぎょらい, meaning a torpedo designed to travel through water toward a target and explode.
• Basic usage: It can refer to a museum model or a torpedo avoided by a submarine in a story.
  • 博物館で古い魚雷の模型を見た。 says that a model of an old torpedo was seen at the museum; 物語の潜水艦は魚雷を避けて深く潜った。 says that the submarine in the story dove deep to avoid a torpedo.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• 魚雷の模型
  • の links the model to the old torpedo it represents.
• 魚雷を避けて
  • を marks the torpedo as what was avoided, and the て-form connects that avoidance with diving deep.
• 魚雷 and 地雷
  • 魚雷 travels through water toward a target, while 地雷 is a mine placed on or under the ground.