Usage of ～艘
The counter ～艘 (そう) is used specifically for counting ships, boats, and other watercraft. It is a formal and common counter in contexts involving maritime vessels.
Common Contexts
You will often see ～艘 used in news reports, maritime discussions, and when talking about fishing boats, cargo ships, or naval vessels. It is not used for other vehicles like cars or airplanes.
Collocations and Patterns
- 数字 + 艘: The most common pattern, e.g., 三艘 (three ships), 五艘 (five ships).
- 艘停泊する: to dock ships, e.g., 三艘停泊している (three ships are docked).
- 艘出る: to send out ships, e.g., 漁船が五艘沖に出ている (five fishing boats are out at sea).
Notes
- Do not confuse ～艘 with other counters like ～台 (for machines or vehicles) or ～隻 (another counter for ships but often used in military/naval contexts).
- When counting ships in casual conversation, ～艘 is the standard and polite choice.
- Learners sometimes forget to use a counter and just say “三船” which is incorrect; always use ～艘 after the number when counting ships.