The core idea: the verb describes the movement, not the item
English asks what you are wearing. Japanese asks how it got onto you. Each wearing verb is an ordinary verb of movement, and its everyday meaning tells you which items it takes. Kaburu (被る) means to cover yourself from above, as when you pull the duvet over your head, futon o kaburu. Kakeru (掛ける) means to hang, as you hang a coat on a hook. Shimeru (締める) means to tighten, and hameru means to fit snugly into place.
Once you know the movement, new items sort themselves: a helmet covers the head from above, so kaburu; sunglasses hang like glasses, so kakeru; tights are pulled up the legs, so haku. When no particular item is meant, Japanese says mi ni tsukeru (身に着ける), literally to attach to the body. A parent getting a small child ready for nursery on a cold morning runs through four verbs in half a minute.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| コート、着て。 | Kōto, kite. | Put your coat on. |
| 靴下もはいてね。 | Kutsushita mo haite ne. | Put your socks on as well, OK? |
| 帽子、かぶった？ | Bōshi, kabutta? | Have you put your hat on? |
| 手袋もはめて。 | Tebukuro mo hamete. | Put your gloves on too. |
| 靴、ちゃんと履いて。 | Kutsu, chanto haite. | Put your shoes on properly. |
The big three: kiru, haku and kaburu
These three verbs cover all clothing, footwear and headwear. Kiru (着る) is for anything you put your torso into: a shirt, a jumper, a coat, a dress, a kimono. Haku (履く) is for anything you pull up over your legs or step into: trousers, skirts, tights, socks and every kind of footwear. Kaburu is for anything that sits on or over your head.
The line between kiru and haku runs at the waist, which explains the pair that surprises people: a dress, wanpīsu, from one-piece, takes kiru because it covers your torso, while a skirt takes haku because it starts at the waist and you step into it. For trousers you may meet the traditional kanji 穿く; in everyday writing 履く or plain hiragana is normal.
| Phrase | Reading | Item | Why this verb |
|---|---|---|---|
| シャツを着る | shatsu o kiru | a shirt | Your arms and torso go into it |
| ワンピースを着る | wanpīsu o kiru | a dress | Covers the torso, so not haku |
| 浴衣を着る | yukata o kiru | a summer kimono | Wrapped around the whole body |
| ズボンを履く | zubon o haku | trousers | Pulled up over the legs |
| スカートを履く | sukāto o haku | a skirt | Stepped into from the waist down |
| 靴下を履く | kutsushita o haku | socks | Pulled onto the feet |
| 靴を履く | kutsu o haku | shoes | Stepped into |
| 帽子をかぶる | bōshi o kaburu | a hat | Covers the head from above |
Kutsushita is written 靴下, literally under the shoes. Pantsu can mean underpants as well as fashion trousers, so zubon is the safe word in a shop. The garment names themselves have a separate clothing vocabulary guide; Unihongo's free learning games are a quick way to drill them, so that the verb is the only thing left to think about.
Accessory verbs: kakeru, shimeru, hameru, tsukeru and maku
Accessories are where the movement idea earns its keep. Kakeru, to hang, is for glasses and sunglasses; megane is written 眼鏡, literally eye mirror. Shimeru, to tighten, is for ties, belts and the obi of a kimono, the same verb that tightens a screw. Hameru, to fit into, is for rings and gloves. Tsukeru, to attach, is for necklaces, earrings, badges and hair clips, and even perfume. Maku, to wrap, is for scarves.
At a kimono rental shop, the dresser narrates each step politely as they get you ready, and you hear the verbs one after another.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 眼鏡はかけたままで大丈夫ですよ。 | Megane wa kaketa mama de daijōbu desu yo. | You can keep your glasses on. |
| 帯を締めますね。 | Obi o shimemasu ne. | I'll tie the sash now. |
| 少しきつく締めますね。 | Sukoshi kitsuku shimemasu ne. | I'll tighten it a little. |
| 指輪ははめたままでいいですか。 | Yubiwa wa hameta mama de ii desu ka. | Is it all right to keep my ring on? |
| 髪飾りをつけますね。 | Kamikazari o tsukemasu ne. | I'll put the hair ornament in. |
| 寒いので、マフラーを巻いてください。 | Samui node, mafurā o maite kudasai. | It's cold, so please wrap your scarf around you. |
Suru: the everyday shortcut for accessories
In conversation, suru quietly takes over most accessory verbs. Nekutai o suru, tokei o suru, yubiwa o suru, masuku o suru and mafurā o suru are everyday Japanese, often more common than the specific verbs, which sound more careful and appear in written instructions. Glasses are the exception: megane o kakeru stays normal even in casual speech.
The shortcut stops at clothes. Suru never replaces kiru, haku or kaburu, because it works for things you add to an outfit, not for the outfit itself. Two friends are catching up at a party.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今日、ネクタイしてないね。 | Kyō, nekutai shite nai ne. | You're not wearing a tie today. |
| いい時計してるね。 | Ii tokei shiteru ne. | That's a nice watch you've got on. |
| 結婚指輪、いつもしてる？ | Kekkon yubiwa, itsumo shiteru? | Do you always wear your wedding ring? |
| 風邪気味だから、マスクしてるんだ。 | Kazegimi da kara, masuku shiteru n da. | I'm wearing a mask because I think I'm getting a cold. |
Taking things off: nugu, hazusu and toru
Removal needs fewer verbs and follows the same logic from the other side. Nugu (脱ぐ) is for anything your body is inside: clothes, shoes, socks and hats. Hazusu (外す) is for anything fastened or attached to you: glasses, watches, rings, belts, ties and masks. The kanji 外 means outside, so hazusu is literally to put outside, to detach. Toru (取る), to take, is the relaxed all-rounder for a hat or a small accessory.
Kaburu sits comfortably in both camps: bōshi o nugu and bōshi o toru are equally natural. Gloves are similar: tebukuro o nugu, toru and hazusu are all heard. Staff say onugi kudasai at a tatami room or temple hall, and hazushite kudasai at an optician's or a security check.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| こちらで靴をお脱ぎください。 | Kochira de kutsu o onugi kudasai. | Please take your shoes off here. |
| 上着を脱いでもいいですか。 | Uwagi o nuide mo ii desu ka. | May I take my jacket off? |
| 眼鏡を外してください。 | Megane o hazushite kudasai. | Please take your glasses off. |
| 時計とベルトを外してください。 | Tokei to beruto o hazushite kudasai. | Please remove your watch and belt. |
| マスクを外してもいいですか。 | Masuku o hazushite mo ii desu ka. | May I take my mask off? |
| 帽子を取ってご挨拶しました。 | Bōshi o totte go-aisatsu shimashita. | I took my hat off and greeted them. |
Beyond the basics: kite iru means is wearing
Every wearing verb names a moment, the act of putting something on. To say someone is wearing something, you need the resulting state, built with te iru: kite iru, haite iru, kabutte iru, kakete iru, shite iru. Kuroi kōto o kite imasu is literally she has put on a black coat and stays that way. The plain kimasu means will put on, or puts on as a habit.
The same form is how you identify people: megane o kakete iru hito, the person wearing glasses. Kigaeru, literally wear and change, means to get changed, and shichaku (試着), literally trial wearing, is trying clothes on in a shop. The first two lines are friends arranging to meet outside a busy station; the rest come from an office and a clothes shop.
| Japanese | Romaji | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 今日は赤いマフラーをしてるよ。 | Kyō wa akai mafurā o shiteru yo. | I'm wearing a red scarf today. |
| 黒いキャップをかぶってるのが私。 | Kuroi kyappu o kabutteru no ga watashi. | I'm the one in the black cap. |
| 眼鏡をかけている人が田中さんです。 | Megane o kakete iru hito ga Tanaka-san desu. | The person wearing glasses is Mr Tanaka. |
| 昨日はスーツを着ていました。 | Kinō wa sūtsu o kite imashita. | I was wearing a suit yesterday. |
| これ、試着してもいいですか。 | Kore, shichaku shite mo ii desu ka. | May I try this on? |
| 今、着替えているところです。 | Ima, kigaete iru tokoro desu. | I'm getting changed right now. |
Confusable pairs: kiru and kiru, haku and haku
Two wearing verbs have everyday homophones, and grammar keeps them apart. Kiru, to wear (着る), is an ichidan verb: kimasu, kite, kinai. Kiru, to cut (切る), is a godan verb: kirimasu, kitte, kiranai. The pitch differs too: to wear is said flat, while to cut drops after the first syllable. Get the te-form wrong and kitte kudasai asks someone to cut something. There is a third kite as well: the te-form of kuru, to come, so kite kudasai can be an invitation or a dressing instruction, and context decides.
| Japanese | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 着ます | kimasu | I put it on (to wear) |
| 切ります | kirimasu | I cut it |
| 着て | kite | te-form of to wear: put it on |
| 切って | kitte | te-form of to cut: cut it |
| 来て | kite | te-form of to come: come |
| 履く | haku | to wear on the legs or feet |
| 吐く | haku | to breathe out, or to vomit |
| 掃く | haku | to sweep |
Haku causes less trouble: all three conjugate alike, and context separates them instantly, since nobody sweeps socks. Kaburu also means to be covered in something, as in hon ga hokori o kabutte iru, the book is covered in dust.
Common mistakes with wearing verbs
Kutsu o kiru or bōshi o kiru. English wear covers everything, so learners reach for the first Japanese verb they learned. Picture the movement instead: shoes are stepped into, so kutsu o haku, and a hat sits on top, so bōshi o kaburu.
Megane o nugu. English take off covers clothes and glasses alike, and nugu is usually taught first. Nugu is only for things your body is inside; glasses are attached, so megane o hazusu.
Akai kōto o kimasu, meant as she is wearing a red coat. The English present tense suggests the plain form, but kimasu describes the act, not the state. Use kite imasu.
Kitte imasu for is wearing. This comes from conjugating kiru, to wear, like kiru, to cut. Kiru, to wear, is ichidan, so it is kite imasu with no small tsu; kitte imasu means is cutting.
Shatsu o shite imasu. Learners who discover the suru shortcut stretch it to clothes. Suru is for things added to an outfit; for garments, go back to kiru, haku and kaburu.