航海

• Pinyin: háng hǎi
• Hanzi breakdown: 航 = 舟 (boat) + 亢 (upright/high, phonetic) — a boat sailing upright; 海 = 氵(water) + 每 (phonetic) — the great waters

Meaning

To navigate at sea; to sail — to travel across the sea by boat or ship, especially over long distances.

Used in historical, geographical, and contemporary maritime contexts. 航海家 (navigator, seafaring explorer). 航海日志 (ship's log). 大航海时代 (the Age of Exploration). More formal than 坐船 or 出海, implying systematic navigation rather than casual sea travel. Specific to sea navigation, unlike 航行 which covers ships, aircraft, and spacecraft.

Examples

1. 郑和七下西洋的航海壮举不仅开辟了新的贸易航线，更向世界展示了当时强大的造船技术和航海实力。 Zheng He’s seven voyages to the Western Seas were not only a remarkable feat of navigation that opened up new trade routes, but also showcased the era’s powerful shipbuilding technology and maritime capability to the world.
2. 这名年仅二十二岁的女性单人航海者成功完成了环球航行，创造了中国航海史上的新纪录。 This 22-year-old female solo sailor successfully completed a circumnavigation of the globe, setting a new record in China’s maritime history.
3. 为纪念大航海时代的开拓精神，博物馆专门开设了一个展厅，陈列历代航海文物和珍贵的古代地图。 To commemorate the pioneering spirit of the Age of Exploration, the museum created a special gallery displaying maritime artifacts from past dynasties and precious ancient maps.

Usage Guide

Context: history, geography, maritime, exploration, sport

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 航海技术的重大突破使人类得以跨越浩瀚海洋，从根本上改变了不同文明之间交流与贸易的格局。(Major breakthroughs in maritime navigation technology enabled humanity to cross the vast oceans, fundamentally changing the pattern of exchange and trade between different civilisations.)
• 这艘仿古帆船按照古代文献中的记载复原建造，旨在通过实践航海验证历史上海上丝绸之路线路的可行性。(This replica antique sailing ship was built according to records in ancient documents, aiming to verify through practical navigation the feasibility of the historical Maritime Silk Road route.)

Don't Say

• 航海 for inland river or lake travel — 航海 specifically denotes sea navigation; for river travel use 行船 or 航行; for general watercraft travel use 乘船

Origin & History

航 (to sail, vessel) + 海 (sea, ocean) — to sail the sea

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal