Japanese for English speakers Clothes · Lesson 1

Asking about characteristics of products

Ask if a product is for men or women with 男の人/女の人 (otoko no hito / onna no hito) or the formal 紳士 (shinshi, gentleman) and レディー (lady). Plus location pronouns ここ/そこ/あそこ.

Conversation

  1. Magicat Magicat

    これは男の人の浴衣ですか？

    Kore wa otoko no hito no yukata desu ka?

    Is this a yukata for men?

    Tip: <Otoko no hito> = Man

  2. Rose Rose

    これはレディーの浴衣ですが

    Kore wa redī no yukata desu

    This is a yukata for women

    Tip: <Redī> = Lady

  3. Rose Rose

    紳士の浴衣はあそこです。

    Shinshi no yukata wa asoko desu.

    Yukatas for gentlemen are over there.

    Tip: <Shinshi> = Gentleman <Asoko> = Over there (In Japanese, "over there" is a little more nuanced. It means far from both the speaker and the listener)

  4. Magicat Magicat

    あっ、そうですか。どうも

    Ah, sō desu ka? Dōmo

    Oh, really? Thanks

Common questions

Quick answers about this lesson's grammar and vocabulary.

What is the difference between そこ and あそこ?

そこ (soko) is 'there' — close to the listener. あそこ (asoko) is 'over there' — far from both speaker and listener.

What does 紳士 (shinshi) mean?

A formal word for 'gentleman' — often seen on shop signage for men's clothing departments.

How do you say 'for men' in Japanese?

男の人の〇〇 (otoko no hito no ...) — literally 'a man's ...'. Use の to link the type of person to the item.

Test yourself

Pick the English translation for each line from this lesson. Wrong answers are pulled from other Japanese lessons.

4 quick questions on what you just heard.

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