Learn Japanese: Describe What Someone Is Wearing with Colors and Clothing
Build elementary Japanese sentences that say what a person is wearing, combining colors with clothing words like 'She's wearing a blue jacket.'
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
To say what someone is wearing in Japanese, the most useful pattern is [person] は [color] の [clothing] を 着ています (kite imasu) for tops, jackets and dresses, or はいています (haite imasu) for trousers, skirts, socks and shoes. This lesson stays on clothing only: it does not describe height, hair or eye color, which belong to a different topic. You will learn a small set of color words, five common clothing items, and how to attach them naturally with の (no).
By the end, you can…
- name five common clothing items in Japanese.
- say what color an item of clothing is using [color] の [clothing].
- say 'She is wearing a blue jacket' and similar sentences about other people.
- ask what someone is wearing and understand a simple answer.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
彼女は青いジャケットを着ています。
She is wearing a blue jacket.
Kanojo wa aoi jaketto o kite imasu.
Use 着ています (kite imasu) for items worn on the upper body, such as jackets, shirts and sweaters.
彼は黒いズボンをはいています。
He is wearing black trousers.
Kare wa kuroi zubon o haite imasu.
Use はいています (haite imasu) for items worn on the legs and feet, such as trousers, skirts, socks and shoes.
赤いスカート
a red skirt
akai sukāto
Colors that end in い (i), like 赤い (akai), can come directly before the clothing word.
白のシャツ
a white shirt
shiro no shatsu
Color nouns such as 白 (shiro), 黒 (kuro) and 緑 (midori) need の (no) before the clothing word.
今日は何を着ていますか。
What are you wearing today?
Kyō wa nani o kite imasu ka.
A polite question. The answer can be just the clothing phrase, for example 青いジャケットを着ています (aoi jaketto o kite imasu).
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is [person] は [color] の [clothing] を 着ています / はいています. For example, 田中さんは白のシャツを着ています (Tanaka-san wa shiro no shatsu o kite imasu) means 'Mr. Tanaka is wearing a white shirt.' If the color is an い-adjective such as 赤い (akai), 青い (aoi), 黒い (kuroi) or 白い (shiroi), you can put it directly before the clothing: 赤いスカート (akai sukāto), 'a red skirt.' Color nouns such as 緑 (midori), 'green,' and ピンク (pinku), 'pink,' usually take の: 緑のセーター (midori no sētā), 'a green sweater.'
When to use it
Use 着ています (kite imasu) when you describe what someone has on right now, not what they own or usually wear. Use はいています (haite imasu) for lower-body and foot items. For example, 妹は赤いスカートをはいています (imōto wa akai sukāto o haite imasu) means 'My younger sister is wearing a red skirt.' To ask about someone, say お母さんは何を着ていますか (okāsan wa nani o kite imasu ka), 'What is your mother wearing?' This pattern describes clothing, so it is different from describing permanent appearance such as height or hair.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
今日は何を着ていますか。
What are you wearing today?Kyō wa nani o kite imasu ka.青いジャケットを着ています。
I'm wearing a blue jacket.Aoi jaketto o kite imasu.いいですね。ズボンは何色ですか。
Nice. What color are your trousers?Ii desu ne. Zubon wa nani iro desu ka.黒いズボンをはいています。
I'm wearing black trousers.Kuroi zubon o haite imasu.A little context goes a long way
Japanese color words often work as い-adjectives, as in 赤い (akai) and 青い (aoi), but some common colors are nouns that need の (no), as in 緑の (midori no) and ピンクの (pinku no). In everyday polite conversation, 着ています (kite imasu) is neutral and safe with acquaintances; casual speech with close friends may shorten it to 着てる (kiteru), but learners should master the polite form first.
One thing to watch for
Using 着ています (kite imasu) for everything, as in 黒いズボンを着ています (kuroi zubon o kite imasu).
Try this instead: Use はいています (haite imasu) for trousers, skirts, socks and shoes: 黒いズボンをはいています (kuroi zubon o haite imasu). Keep 着ています (kite imasu) for upper-body clothing such as シャツ (shatsu), 'shirt,' and ジャケット (jaketto), 'jacket.'
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'She is wearing a red skirt' in Japanese?
Show a sample answer
彼女は赤いスカートをはいています。 (Kanojo wa akai sukāto o haite imasu.)
赤い (akai) is an い-adjective, so it goes directly before スカート (sukāto). Because a skirt is a lower-body item, use はいています (haite imasu). 彼女は赤いスカートを着ています would be understood but sounds less natural for a skirt.
2How do you say 'a white shirt' using the color noun 白 (shiro)?
Show a sample answer
白のシャツ (shiro no shatsu)
The color noun 白 (shiro) needs の (no) before the clothing word. 白いシャツ (shiroi shatsu) is also correct and common because 白い (shiroi) is the い-adjective form.
3Ask a friend politely what they are wearing today.
Show a sample answer
今日は何を着ていますか。 (Kyō wa nani o kite imasu ka.)
This polite question uses 着ていますか (kite imasu ka). If you expect the answer to involve trousers or shoes, you can also ask 今日は何をはいていますか (Kyō wa nani o haite imasu ka); both are valid depending on the clothing.
Remember the two verbs: 着ています (kite imasu) for tops and jackets, はいています (haite imasu) for trousers, skirts, socks and shoes. Put い-adjective colors directly before the clothing, and color nouns with の (no).
Progress is saved on this browser.
Practice real time conversations on Yapr for faster learning.
Put today’s Japanese into a conversation with an AI tutor. Speak, make mistakes, and try again.
Practice on Yapr