風習|ふうしゅうfuushuu[0]heiban (flat)

JLPT N1approx.Common
Definitions
  1. nouncustom
    その風習ふうしゅうはすたれつつある。↗
    That custom is on the decrease.
Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym慣行かんこうWrittenWritten word for established practices in society or an industry, as in 「商慣行」; unlike 風習, it is not about a locality's distinctive customs.
  • Synonym慣習かんしゅうWrittenWritten term for practices a society has long followed, as in 「地域の慣習」 or 「慣習法」; more formal than 風習.
  • Synonym習わしならわしNeutralCustoms handed down over generations, as in 「土地の習わし」; carries a traditional feel and is fine in everyday speech.
  • Synonym習俗しゅうぞくWrittenA written, folklore-studies term for folk customs; it treats customs as an object of study rather than everyday usage.
  • Synonym習いならいWrittenRefers to the way things usually are, as in 「世の習い」; a written-style word with a wistful, reflective flavor, less tied to one place than 「風習」.
  • Synonym風俗ふうぞくNeutralThe manners and customs of an era or group, but in modern Japanese it often refers to the sex industry, so mind the context.
  • Related慣例かんれいWrittenA written word for conventions or precedent, as in 「慣例に従う」; it concerns established ways of doing things and is not tied to any particular region.
  • Related因習いんしゅうWrittenWritten word for outdated, undesirable old customs, as in 「因習を打破」; clearly pejorative, unlike the neutral 風習.
  • Related習慣しゅうかんNeutralThe everyday word for personal or social habits; the most common of these terms, with a wider range than 風習.
  • Related定例ていれいWrittenWritten word for things held on a fixed schedule, as in 「定例会議」; it stresses regular timing, not local custom.
  • Related恒例こうれいNeutralAn established event held regularly — yearly, monthly or weekly — as in 「恒例の行事」; about recurring routines rather than regional customs.
  • Related伝統でんとうNeutralTradition handed down through the generations; it stresses the cultural value being passed on rather than a place's customs.
  • Related決まりきまりNeutralRules, whether established by custom or formally laid down, as in 「決まりを守る」; the focus is on what must be followed rather than on a local way of life.
  • Related常習じょうしゅうWrittenWritten word for ingrained habits, usually bad ones, as in 「常習犯」; typically pejorative.
  • RelatedトラディションNeutralLoanword for 'tradition'; rare in daily use, appearing mostly in translated texts or in names.
  • RelatedしきたりNeutralOld rules of a family or locality, as in 「家のしきたり」; common in everyday speech.
  • Related旧習きゅうしゅうWrittenWritten word for old customs and conventions, often with a hint of clinging to the past.
  • Related古例これいWrittenWritten word for age-old precedent; rare in modern Japanese — say 「慣例」 or 「昔からのしきたり」 instead.
  • Related俗習ぞくしゅうWrittenA little-used written word for worldly customs; close in meaning to 風習.
  • Related遺風いふうWrittenWritten word for the ways or customs left behind by people of the past, as in 「古代の遺風」.
  • Related旧例きゅうれいWrittenWritten word for old precedents; it focuses on how things were done in the past.
  • Related常例じょうれいWrittenWritten word for the usual practice; uncommon in daily use — say 「慣例」 instead.
  • Related風儀ふうぎWrittenRare written word for manners and standards of conduct; it stresses proper behavior rather than customs.

Use 「風習」 for customs peculiar to a particular place, as in 「珍しい風習」 or 「地方の風習」. For social habits choose 「習慣」, for old family or local rules 「しきたり」, for conventions 「慣例」, for regularly recurring events 「恒例」, for cultural heritage 「伝統」, and for outdated bad customs 「因習」. Most of the other words here are rare written terms.

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

Japanese definitions
  1. その土地とちに伝つたわる社会しゃかい生活せいかつや行事ぎょうじなどの習ならわし。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents
See also

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

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