How to say "garment" in Japanese

Choosing the right word
  • 衣ころもCommon
    nounCovers 'garment' in the plain sense of clothes, but on its own it is seldom the word you want — you will mostly meet it as part of other words and set expressions.
  • 衣装いしょうJLPT N1approx.Common
    nounCovers the 'costume' and 'outfit' senses: clothes as a coordinated or special ensemble — the usual word for stage costumes and dress-up, not for an ordinary single garment.
    ぬれた衣装いしょうが彼女かのじょの体からだにくっついていた。↗
    Wet clothes clung to her body.

衣 is the broad 'clothes/garment' word but rarely stands alone, while 衣装 adds the 'costume/outfit' nuance of a coordinated or special set of clothes.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese equivalents
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JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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