航行（こうこう、kouこう）
- navigation

The Japanese word 航行, pronounced こうこう (kōkō), means "navigation," "sailing," "voyaging," or "to sail/navigate." It generally refers to the movement of a ship, aircraft, or spacecraft through water, air, or space. The core idea is the act of traveling purposefully using a vehicle, usually with the intention of going somewhere. This includes the act of controlling and steering a vessel.

⚫︎船が海を航行する。 Translation: The ship sails across the sea. ⚫︎飛行機は空を安全に航行した。 Translation: The airplane navigated the sky safely. ⚫︎宇宙船は宇宙を航行した。 Translation: The spacecraft voyaged through space.

⚫︎You would use 航行 in situations discussing the movement of ships, airplanes, or spacecraft. ⚫︎It's suitable for formal and informal contexts. ⚫︎The word emphasizes the process of traveling by these means, often including the aspect of controlling the vehicle. For example, 航行 could be used to describe the path a ship took, the journey's duration, and the distance covered.

⚫︎航行 is typically written with the kanji 航 (kō, meaning "navigation" or "sailing") and 行 (kō, gyō, iku, meaning "to go" or "to travel"). ⚫︎The hiragana reading is こうこう. ⚫︎There is no variation in the okurigana (suffix hiragana).

⚫︎運航 (うんこう) - "Operation" (typically used for planes, trains, and buses) ⚫︎運航する (うんこうする) - "To operate (a vessel)" ⚫︎航海 (こうかい) - "Voyage," "navigation" (specifically by ship, often long-distance) ⚫︎進む (すすむ) - "To advance," "to proceed" (more general and can apply to many situations)

⚫︎There aren't direct antonyms of 航行, as it describes an action. However, the opposite of the action described in 航行 might be considered to be the state of being stationary or grounded, or ceasing the journey. ⚫︎Specific antonyms would depend on the context of the sentence: ⚫︎ For a ship: 停泊 (ていはく) - "Anchorage" or "mooring." ⚫︎ For an airplane: 着陸 (ちゃくりく) - "Landing".

その船は荒波の中を無事に航行した。 ・Translation: That ship safely sailed through the rough waves. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the successful act of a ship navigating through challenging conditions.

新しい技術によって、より安全な航行が可能になった。 ・Translation: With new technology, safer navigation has become possible. ・Explanation: This shows how improvements in technology affect the act of sailing.

⚫︎航(kō) comes from the meaning "to navigate" or "to sail". ⚫︎行 (kō, gyō, iku) means "to go" or "to travel". ⚫︎Combining these kanji, 航行 literally represents the concept of "going" or "traveling" with the act of navigation or sailing, thus forming the meaning of the word.