服（ふく、fuku）
- clothes

The Japanese word 服 (ふく, fuku) primarily means "clothes" or "clothing." It refers to any items worn on the body, including shirts, pants, dresses, coats, and accessories that function as garments. It can also refer to a specific garment. The meaning can vary based on context, but it generally encompasses all types of apparel.

⚫︎ 新しい服 Translation: New clothes ⚫︎ 服を買う Translation: To buy clothes ⚫︎ 服を洗濯する Translation: To wash clothes

This word is very common and can be used in almost any situation when referring to clothes. You can use it in casual conversations with friends, formal situations, or when shopping. It's a versatile word and widely understood.

⚫︎ The word 服 is most commonly written with the kanji 服. ⚫︎ It's also written in hiragana as ふく. ⚫︎ There are no significant variations in okurigana. ⚫︎ The kanji 服 alone conveys the meaning, and the hiragana pronunciation is consistent.

⚫︎ 衣類 (いるい, irui): This is a more formal term for "clothing" or "garments." ⚫︎ 洋服 (ようふく, yōfuku): This specifically refers to Western-style clothes. ⚫︎ 着物 (きもの, kimono): This refers to traditional Japanese clothing. ⚫︎ 衣装 (いしょう, ishō): This word means "costume" or "outfit" and often implies clothing for a specific purpose (e.g., stage costumes).

There aren't direct antonyms for 服 because it refers to a broad category. However, words that relate to the lack of clothing could be considered, though indirectly: ⚫︎ 裸 (はだか, hadaka): Naked. This describes the state of not wearing clothes.

今日は新しい服を着てきました。 ・Translation: I wore new clothes today. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 服 to describe the clothes that someone is wearing.

この店には素敵な服がたくさんありますね！ ・Translation: There are many lovely clothes in this store, aren't there! ・Explanation: This sentence is used when talking about the clothes in a store.

The kanji 服 is composed of two parts: the radical 月 (getsuni, moon/flesh) and 畐 (fuku). 畐 is a phonetic component, and its original meaning might have been related to the meaning of "cover" or "put on." Over time, the meaning evolved to specifically denote "clothing" or "dress."