Meet 洋 in 洋服 and 洋食. The examples connect each word’s reading with a useful context.

The idea

洋 has 9 strokes; follow their order in the linked KanjiVG diagram. Learn 洋服（ようふく） and 洋食（ようしょく） as complete words: a character’s reading depends on the word.

Patterns to compare
Japanese wordReadingExample in context
洋服ようふくI put Western-style clothes away in the wardrobe.
洋食ようしょくI had lunch at a Western-style restaurant.
海洋かいようWe study marine life at school.
太平洋たいへいようI crossed the Pacific Ocean by plane.

Examples

  • 洋服ようふくをたんすにしまいます。I put Western-style clothes away in the wardrobe.
  • 昼ひるは洋食ようしょくの店みせで食たべました。I had lunch at a Western-style restaurant.
  • 海洋かいようの生いき物ものを学校がっこうで調しらべます。We study marine life at school.
  • 太平洋たいへいようを飛行機ひこうきで渡わたりました。I crossed the Pacific Ocean by plane.
  • 父ちちは洋楽ようがくをよく聞ききます。My father often listens to Western music.
  • 西洋せいようの絵えを美術館びじゅつかんで見みました。I saw Western paintings at the art museum.

Read-aloud uses a synthetic Japanese voice available on your device. Voice quality and availability vary; it does not assess your pronunciation.

Watch out

洋 means ocean in 海洋, but points to Western style in 洋服 and 洋食. 洋食 also includes Japanese adaptations of Western dishes. Compare the shapes of 洋 and 羊; they are different characters.

Try it yourself

  1. Write the reading of 洋服 in hiragana.

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    ようふく

    洋服 is read ようふく. In context: I put Western-style clothes away in the wardrobe.

  2. Write the reading of 洋食 in hiragana.

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    ようしょく

    洋食 is read ようしょく. In context: I had lunch at a Western-style restaurant.

  3. Write the missing kanji: ＿服（ようふく）.

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    洋

    洋 completes 洋服, read ようふく. In context: I put Western-style clothes away in the wardrobe.

Use it today

Cover the table, write 洋 from memory, read 洋服 and 洋食 aloud, then make a sentence with one of them.