Word
洋服
Meaning in EnglishWestern-style clothes, clothes
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Word context
What it means
洋服 means Western-style clothing; it refers to garments worn in Western fashion and is used to distinguish non-Japanese styles from traditional Japanese wear.
Main meanings
- Western-style clothing as a category distinct from traditional Japanese attire
- clothing and apparel in everyday contexts
- fashion contexts referencing Western styles or imported fashions
How to use it
Used in casual and formal speech to refer to Western style garments; common in phrases describing clothing choices, stores, or fashion coordination; it contrasts with 和服.
Variants and close terms
- 和服 — wa-fuku
- 洋装 — yōsō
- 西洋風の服 — seiyōfū no fuku
Composition
- 洋: Western
- 服: clothing
- When combined, they denote clothing associated with Western fashion
Etymology
よう + ふく → ようふく a straightforward on'yomi compound with no irregular phonetic changes.
Origin
Meiji period onward, Western clothing was introduced as part of modernization; adoption occurred gradually in urban centers, schools, and official contexts.
Word class
Noun (名詞)
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