Word Detail

The Japanese word 手袋 (てぶくろ) means "gloves". It refers to a covering for the hand, often made of fabric or leather, with individual sheaths for each finger and the thumb, or sometimes just the fingers. The primary function of 手袋 is to protect the hands from cold, heat, injury, or to provide a better grip.

⚫︎ 冬は寒いので、手袋てぶくろをします。 Translation: I wear gloves in the winter because it's cold. ⚫︎ 彼女は新しい革の手袋を買いました。 Translation: She bought new leather gloves. ⚫︎ この手袋は自転車に乗るのに最適です。 Translation: These gloves are perfect for riding a bicycle.

You use 手袋 when referring to gloves in various contexts. It's a common and straightforward word. ⚫︎ You might use it to talk about the type of gloves (e.g., leather gloves, winter gloves, sports gloves). ⚫︎ You can also use it to describe the action of wearing or putting on gloves. ⚫︎ It is appropriate in both formal and informal situations.

手袋 is typically written in: ⚫︎ Kanji: 手袋 ⚫︎ Hiragana: てぶくろ (reading) ⚫︎ There are no other common ways to write this word. ⚫︎ The okurigana is fixed; the last character is always 袋 (ふくろ).

There aren't many direct synonyms for "gloves" that are frequently used in everyday Japanese. However, you can sometimes use more specific words depending on the type of gloves: ⚫︎ ミトン (miton) - Mittens (typically used for very cold weather, covering the entire hand with a separate thumb) ⚫︎ 革手袋 (kawa てぶくろ) - Leather gloves ⚫︎ 軍手 (gunte) - Work gloves (usually made of cotton)

There isn't a single direct antonym for 手袋. However, words that relate to not wearing gloves might be considered opposites in a practical sense, such as: ⚫︎ 素手 (sudo) - Bare hands ⚫︎ 裸の手 (hadaka no te) - Bare hands

雪が降っているので、手袋をしてください。 ・Translation: It's snowing, so please wear gloves. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 手袋 to advise someone to put on gloves due to the weather.

彼女は赤い手袋をしています。 ・Translation: She is wearing red gloves. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the color of the gloves being worn.

The word 手袋 is a compound word. ⚫︎ 手 (te) - Hand ⚫︎ 袋 (fukuro or bukuro) - Bag, pouch Therefore, the literal meaning is "hand bag" or "hand pouch," which makes sense considering its function to cover the hands.