Translation and Meaning of: 服 - fuku

The word 「服」(fuku) is commonly used in modern Japanese to refer to "clothes" or "garment." This term is an important component of everyday Japanese vocabulary, reflecting not only practical aspects of daily life but also deep cultural and social elements. The writing consists of the Kanji 「服」, which is read as "ふく" (fuku) in hiragana.

The etymology of 「服」 traces back to Chinese roots, as the Kanji was originally imported from Chinese to Japanese along with many other characters. The Kanji 「服」 is composed of the radicals 「月」 (meat) on the left and 「卩」 (bent knee), originally suggesting "to yield" or "to obey," hinting at the idea of adjusting or adapting to the body, as clothing does. This meaning evolved, later coming to denote clothing, emphasizing the symbiotic relationship between the garment and the wearer.

Interestingly, the word 「服」 also appears in various combinations and expressions in Japanese. For example, 「制服」(seifuku) refers to "uniform," a piece of clothing closely associated with Japanese school culture. Another popular expression is 「洋服」 (youfuku), which refers to "Western" clothing, showing the cultural distinction and Western influence on Japanese fashion. Additionally, 「和服」 (wafuku) refers to traditional Japanese clothing, such as the kimono.

Curiosidades Culturais

• Kimono and Yukata: The 「和服」 includes traditional clothing such as the kimono and the yukata, using fabrics and patterns that often carry deep cultural and aesthetic meanings.
• Western Influence: The category 「洋服」 represents the changes in fashion and lifestyle following Japan's opening to Western influences in the 19th century.

In conclusion, the use of 「服」 in Japan is an intrinsic reflection of traditions, innovations, and the constant evolution of fashion in both public and private spheres. The Japanese language, through its words and expressions, reveals how clothing is not only utilitarian but also symbolizes the identity, mood, and social function of the wearer.

Vocabulary

Expand your vocabulary with related words:

Synonyms and similar words

• 衣服 (ifuku) - clothes
• きもの (kimono) - Traditional Japanese clothing
• ワンピース (wanpiisu) - dress
• ジャケット (jaketto) - jacket
• シャツ (shatsu) - T-shirt or shirt
• パンツ (pantsu) - Pants or underwear depending on the context
• スカート (sukaato) - get out
• ブラウス (burausu) - Blouse or women's shirt
• コート (kooto) - coat
• セーター (seetaa) - Sweater

服

Romaji: fuku
Kana: ふく
Type: Noun
L: jlpt-n5

Translation / Meaning: clothes

Meaning in English: clothes

Definition: Clothes to wear.

Example Sentences - (服) fuku

See below some example sentences:

この服の継ぎ目はとてもきれいです。

Kono fuku no tsugime wa totemo kirei desu

The stitching on this outfit is very beautiful.

The stitching on this outfit is very beautiful.

• この - indicates proximity, meaning "this"
• 服 - means "clothing"
• の - particle indicating possession, meaning "from"
• 継ぎ目 - means "sewing, joining"
• は - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• とても - adverb meaning "very"
• きれい - adjective meaning "beautiful, clean"
• です - verb to be in the polite form

あくどい色の服を着るのは好きじゃない。

Akudoi iro no fuku wo kiru no wa suki janai

I don't like to wear a terrible color.

I don't like to wear a terrible color.

• あくどい色 - Dark or gloomy color
• 服 - clothing
• 着る - wear
• のは - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• 好き - Like
• じゃない - Informal negative of "desu", which indicates negation.

きちんとした服装で会議に出席しました。

Kichinto shita fukusō de kaigi ni shusseki shimashita

I attended the meeting dressed appropriately.

I attended the meeting in proper clothing.

• きちんとした - well-groomed, well-dressed
• 服装 - clothing, attire
• で - indicates the means, the way something is done
• 会議 - meeting, conference
• に - indicates the place where something happens
• 出席 - presence, attendance
• しました - past tense of the verb "to do"

クリーニングに出した服がピカピカになった。

Kurīningu ni dashita fuku ga pikapika ni natta

The clothes I put for cleaning became bright.

• クリーニング (kurīningu) - dry cleaning
• に (ni) - Particle indicating the target of the action
• 出した (dashita) - past tense of the verb "to put out"
• 服 (fuku) - clothes
• が (ga) - particle that indicates the subject of the sentence
• ピカピカ (pikapika) - brilliant, shining
• に (ni) - particle that indicates the resulting state of the action
• なった (natta) - past tense of the verb "to become"

この服は目立つ色だ。

Kono fuku wa medatsu iro da

This outfit has a color that stands out.

These clothes are visible colors.

• この - demonstrative pronoun that means "this" or "this here"
• 服 - The noun that means "clothing" is "服" (ふく, fuku) in Japanese.
• は - topic particle that indicates the topic of the sentence
• 目立つ - verb that means "to attract attention" or "to be noteworthy"
• 色 - noun that means "color"
• だ - auxiliary verb that indicates the affirmative form in the present of informal language

彼女の服装は見すぼらしいです。

Kanojo no fukusō wa misuborashii desu

Her clothes look bad.

Your clothes are shabby.

• 彼女 (kanojo) - she
• の (no) - Possessive particle
• 服装 (fukusou) - clothing, attire
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 見すぼらしい (misuborashii) - Messy, careless
• です (desu) - verb to be in the polite form

彼女は服を脱ぐのが好きです。

Kanojo wa fuku wo nugu no ga suki desu

She likes to take off her clothes.

• 彼女 (kanojo) - she
• は (wa) - Topic particle
• 服 (fuku) - clothes
• を (wo) - direct object particle
• 脱ぐ (nugu) - to take out
• のが (noga) - particle indicating that the sentence is a nominal subordinate
• 好き (suki) - like
• です (desu) - Verb ser/estar in the formal present tense

彼女はだらしない服装をしている。

Kanojo wa darashinai fukusō o shite iru

She is dressed in a sloppy way.

She wears sloppy clothes.

• 彼女 (kanojo) - she
• は (wa) - Particle indicating the topic of the sentence
• だらしない (darashinai) - sloppy, messy
• 服装 (fukusou) - clothing, attire
• を (wo) - Particle indicating the direct object of the sentence
• している (shiteiru) - is wearing, is dressed

服が擦れる音が聞こえる。

Fuku ga sureru oto ga kikoeru

I hear the sound of clothing rustling.

You can hear the sound of clothes rubbing together.

• 服 (fuku) - clothes
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 擦れる (sureru) - rub
• 音 (oto) - sound
• が (ga) - subject particle
• 聞こえる (kikoeru) - be heard, be noticeable

私はショップで新しい衣服を買いました。

Watashi wa shoppu de atarashii ifuku o kaimashita

I bought new clothes in the store.

I bought new clothes in the store.

• 私 (watashi) - personal pronoun that means "I"
• は (wa) - particle that indicates the topic of the sentence, in this case, "I"
• ショップ (shoppu) - Japanese word meaning "store"
• で (de) - Subtitle indicating the location where the action took place, in this case, "na loja"
• 新しい (atarashii) - adjective meaning "new"
• 衣服 (ifuku) - Japanese word meaning "clothes"
• を (wo) - Direct object marker indicating the direct object of the sentence, in this case, "clothing"
• 買いました (kaimashita) - verb that means "I bought"