洋服（ようふく、youfuku）
- Western clothes

The Japanese word 洋服 (ようふく, yōfuku) primarily means "Western-style clothes" or simply "clothes." It refers to garments that are not traditional Japanese clothing like kimonos. It encompasses a wide range of clothing items typically worn in Western cultures, such as shirts, pants, dresses, coats, and suits. The term emphasizes the foreign, Western origin of the clothing.

⚫︎洋服を着る Translation: To wear Western-style clothes. ⚫︎新しい洋服を買う Translation: To buy new clothes (Western-style). ⚫︎洋服の店 Translation: A Western-style clothing store.

This word is used in everyday conversation to refer to any type of non-traditional Japanese clothing. You can use it in various situations when discussing fashion, shopping, or what someone is wearing. It's a general term and widely understood.

洋服 is typically written in kanji and hiragana. ・Kanji: 洋服 ・Hiragana: ようふく There are no significant variations in the okurigana. The pronunciation and spelling are consistent.

・服 (ふく, fuku): This is a more general term for "clothes." It's less specific about style. ・衣類 (いるい, irui): This is a formal term for "clothing" or "garments." ・アパレル (apareru): This is a loanword from English "apparel," which is often used for clothing, especially in a retail context.

・着物 (きもの, kimono): Traditional Japanese clothing. ・和服 (わふく, wafuku): Another term for traditional Japanese clothing, similar to kimono.

今日、パーティーに洋服を着て行く予定です。 ・Translation: I plan to wear Western-style clothes to the party today. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 洋服 to specify the style of clothing for the party.

週末に新しい洋服を買いに行きます。 ・Translation: I'm going to buy new clothes this weekend. ・Explanation: This sentence indicates a plan to buy new Western-style clothes.

The word 洋服 is a compound word: ・洋 (よう, yō) - "Western," "ocean," or "foreign" ・服 (ふく, fuku) - "clothes," "clothing" Therefore, 洋服 literally means "Western clothes." The combination reflects the historical introduction of Western-style clothing to Japan.