着る
kiru[kʲiɾɯ̟]
In Japanese, the English verb "wear" is expressed through several different verbs. The default form is 着る (kiru). Wiktionary also lists 掛ける (kakeru) and 履く (haku).
Meaning: to have on (clothes or accessories) (verb)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 着る | kiru | [kʲiɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 掛ける | kakeru | [ka̠ke̞ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 履く | haku | [ha̠kɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 被る | kaburu | [ka̠ɡa̠ɸɯ̟ɾɯ̟] (narrow) [ka̠bɯ̟ɾɯ̟] (narrow) |
You can also use the more general term 身につける to cover wearing various items such as jewelry, accessories, clothing more broadly. Related nouns include 服 (clothing) and 着物 (clothing), while 疲労 can refer to damage.
Which one should you use?
Japanese uses specific verbs for different types of clothing: * 着る is used specifically for clothing worn on the upper body, such as shirts, coats or sweaters. * 履く is used for clothing worn on the lower body, such as pants, skirts, socks or shoes. * 被る is used for items worn on the head, such as hats or caps. * 掛ける is used for wearing accessories that hang or rest on the face, most commonly glasses.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
kiru
Did you know?
- The verb 被る is used for hats, but it also means to 'take the fall' or take the blame for something in a figurative sense.
- The word 着物 (kimono), which many associate with a specific type of dress, is actually a literal combination of the characters for 'wearing' and 'thing'.
- The word 掛ける was first recorded in the 'Kojiki', which is one of the oldest surviving chronicles of Japanese history and mythology from 712 CE.
Examples in context
- 着る物がないの。I don't have a thing to wear.This sentence uses 着る.Tatoeba #126602 by tommy__san, translation #277446 by CK
- 本当にあれ着るつもり？Are you really going to wear that?Tatoeba #8599712 by small_snow, translation #3320177 by Hybrid
- 冬にはコートを着るんだよ。I wear an overcoat in the winter.Tatoeba #9134239 by bunbuku, translation #396177 by CK
- 18 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Misaki and Ren are getting ready to go out.
- 美咲 Misaki今日は何を着る？Kyou wa nani o kiru?What are you going to wear today?
- 蓮 Renこのシャツを着ようと思っているよ。Kono shatsu o kiyou to omotte iru yo.I'm thinking of wearing this shirt.
- 美咲 Misaki蓮、そのシャツはとても似合うね。Ren, sono shatsu wa totemo niau ne.Ren, that shirt suits you very well.
- 蓮 Renありがとう。美咲も素敵だよ。Arigatou. Misaki mo suteki da yo.Thank you. You look lovely too, Misaki.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wear” translations and entries 着る, 掛ける, 履く, 被る, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 掛ける, 被る, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
