The Meaning of youfuku [洋服] In Japanese

洋服
ようふく
Romaji: youfuku N5

What does 洋服 mean?

Translation and Meaning

Western-style clothing, clothes

Definition

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.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

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

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.

Composition

  • 洋: Western
  • 服: clothing
  • When combined, they denote clothing associated with Western fashion

Usage

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.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine 洋 as the sea bringing in clothes from the Western world, linking Western influence to clothes to recall 洋服.

Variations

  • 和服 — wa-fuku
  • 洋装 — yōsō
  • 西洋風の服 — seiyōfū no fuku

Example Phrases

  • 週末に洋服を整理してクローゼットをきれいに片付ける。
    Shūmatsu ni yōfuku o seiri shite kurōzetto o kirei ni katazukeru.
    On the weekend, I organize my clothes and tidy the closet neatly.
    Lista:
    • 週末に (Shūmatsu ni) – on the weekend
    • 洋服を (Yōfuku o) – clothes
    • 整理して (Seiri shite) – organize (and)
    • クローゼットを (Kurōzetto o) – closet
    • きれいに (Kirei ni) – neatly
    • 片付ける (Katazukeru) – tidy up
    Core grammar: o alvo 「洋服」 funciona como objeto marcado pela partícula を; a forma て de 整理して conecta as ações; o tempo é indicado por 週末に.
  • 今日は いろいろな 洋服の 組み合わせ を 試着 した。
    Kyou wa iroiro na youfuku no kumiawase o shichaku shita.
    Today I tried on various combinations of outfits.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (kyou wa) – today
    • いろいろな (iroiro na) – various
    • 洋服の (youfuku no) – of clothes
    • 組み合わせ (kumiawase) – combination
    • を (o) – object marker
    • 試着 (shichaku) – try-on
    • した (shita) – did
    O termo 「組み合わせ」 significa ‘combinação’; aqui ele aparece em 洋服の組み合わせ para dizer ‘a combinação de roupas’. O を marca o objeto de 試着.
洋服