袴（はかま、hakama）
- hakama

The Japanese word 袴 (はかま, *hakama*) refers to a type of traditional Japanese garment. It's a long, wide divided skirt or trousers worn over a kimono. The 袴 are typically tied at the waist and reach to the ankles. They can be divided, like pants, or undivided, resembling a skirt. The style and fabric of the 袴 vary depending on the occasion, the wearer's gender, and the historical period.

⚫︎ 剣道の稽古で、彼は袴を履いていました。 Translation: He was wearing *hakama* for his kendo practice. ⚫︎ 卒業式で、多くの女子学生が振袖と袴を着ていました。 Translation: Many female students wore furisode kimonos and *hakama* at the graduation ceremony.

You would use the word 袴 when discussing or describing this specific type of Japanese clothing. You can use it when talking about someone wearing 袴, the different types of 袴, or the occasions when they are typically worn.

The word 袴 is primarily written using the kanji 袴, but can also be written in hiragana はかま. The okurigana (送りがな, suffix hiragana) is not applicable here.

There aren't really direct synonyms for 袴 because it's a specific garment. However, you could use more general terms related to clothing or traditional attire.

There aren't specific antonyms, but you could consider other types of clothing as the opposite.

彼は武道の練習のために紺色の袴を着用した。 ・Translation: He wore navy blue *hakama* for his martial arts practice. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the context and color of the 袴 being worn.

卒業式は、袴姿の学生で華やかだった。 ・Translation: The graduation ceremony was splendid with students in *hakama*. ・Explanation: This sentence describes the atmosphere of a graduation ceremony, highlighting the presence of students wearing 袴.

The etymology of 袴 is somewhat debated, but the term itself has ancient roots in the Japanese language. It likely originated from the ancient Japanese garments that evolved into the modern 袴.