The Meaning of kōto [コート] In Japanese

コート
コート
Romaji: kōto N5

What does コート mean?

Translation and Meaning

coat, court (sports/tennis; court of law)

Definition

コート means coat and court. It refers to an outer garment worn over clothing, and it also denotes a playing surface used for sports such as tennis; in addition, it can indicate a coating or layer applied to a surface in material contexts. The intended meaning is determined by the surrounding words and context.

Type

noun (外来語)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • outer garment: a coat worn to keep warm or for fashion
  • sports surface: a playing surface for games, especially tennis (テニスコート)
  • coating: a layer applied to a surface or the act of coating

Etymology

Phonetic evolution and loanword adaptation: コート reflects the sounds of coat and court in Japanese, with a long vowel indicated by ー

Origin

Adopted during the Meiji era as part of Westernization, then widely used in fashion and sports vocabulary.

Usage

Used across formal and casual registers: for clothing, コート refers to a coat; for sports, テニスコート denotes the playing surface; in technical contexts, コート can mean a coating or coating layer applied to a surface.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a long coat laid out on a tennis court to connect both main senses; when you see コート, rely on nearby words to tell if it means clothing or a court.

Variations

  • 上着 (uwagi) — outerwear
  • アウター (autā) — casual outerwear term
  • テニスコート (tenisu-kōto) — tennis court

Example Phrases

  • 今日は 天気が悪いので 「コート」 を 着て 出かけた。
    Kyou wa tenki ga warui node 「kōto」 o kite dekaketa.
    Because the weather is bad today, I wore a coat and went out.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (Kyou wa) – today
    • 天気が悪いので (tenki ga warui node) – because the weather is bad
    • 「コート」 (「kōto」) – coat
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 着て (kite) – wearing
    • 出かけた (dekaketa) – went out
    Uses ので to express a reason; 「コート」 is the loanword for coat used as the object of 着て.
  • 雨の朝、真っ黒なコートを着て会社へ行く途中で傘を忘れた。
    Ame no asa, makkuro na kōto o kite kaisha e iku tochū de kasa o wasureta.
    On a rainy morning, I forgot my umbrella while on the way to the office in a jet-black coat.
    Lista:
    • 雨の朝 (Ame no asa) – rainy morning
    • 真っ黒な (makkuro na) – jet-black
    • コートを (kōto o) – coat
    • 着て (kite) – wearing
    • 会社へ (kaisha e) – to the company
    • 行く (iku) – go
    • 途中で (tochū de) – on the way
    • 傘を (kasa o) – umbrella
    • 忘れた (wasureta) – forgot
    Here, 「真っ黒」 functions as a na-adjective meaning ‘jet-black’ before a noun, as in 「真っ黒なコート」.
コート