ズボン
ズボン
zubon
= trousers; pants
ズボン (zubon) means trousers or pants — one of the most frequently used clothing words in Japanese. What makes it linguistically interesting is its origin: it comes from French ‘jupon’ (an underskirt or petticoat), via the process of Meiji-era Japanese adopting Western clothing vocabulary along with the clothes themselves. It’s a word that looks like it should come from English but doesn’t.
Zubon (ズボン) means trousers, pants, or slacks — the lower-body garment. Common usage: ズボンをはく (zubon wo haku — to put on/wear trousers; note: はく not きる for lower-body clothing), ズボンを脱ぐ (zubon wo nugu — to take off trousers). Types: ジーンズ/ジーパン (jiinzu/jiipan — jeans), スラックス (surakkusu — slacks/dress trousers), ショートパンツ (shooto pantsu — shorts). Note: パンツ (pantsu) in Japanese often means underwear (underwear pants), not trousers — context matters greatly.
The clothing verb is critical: lower-body clothing uses はく (haku) — ズボンをはく, 靴をはく (shoes), 靴下をはく (socks). Upper-body clothing uses きる (kiru) — シャツを着る (shirt), コートを着る (coat). Head/accessories use かぶる (kaburu) — 帽子をかぶる (hat). And critically: パンツ (pantsu) in Japanese means underwear/underpants, not trousers. Saying パンツ when you mean trousers will cause confusion. To be safe: ズボン (zubon) for outer trousers, パンツ/下着 (shitagi — underwear) for underwear.
ズボン is written in katakana as a loanword. The origin is debated but most likely from French ‘jupon’ (underskirt), absorbed into Japanese during the Meiji period. An alternative theory traces it to Dutch or Portuguese. What’s certain is it entered Japanese through Western clothing adoption, not from English — English ‘trousers’ is トラウザーズ in katakana, while ‘pants’ is パンツ (which confusingly means underwear in Japanese).
Everyday use
泥で汚れてしまったから、ズボンを履き替えないといけない。
Doro de yogorete shimatta kara, zubon wo hakikae nakereba ikenai.
It got muddy so I need to change my trousers.
Casual / Social Media
このズボン動きやすくて最高 ジム用に買ったのに普段着でも使ってる
Kono zubon ugokiyasukute saikou Jimu-you ni katta noni fudangi de mo tsukatte ru
These trousers are so easy to move in — amazing. Bought them for the gym but wearing them as everyday clothes too
Formal / Cultural context
「ズボン」の語源については諸説存在するが、フランス語 jupon（アンダースカート・ペチコート）からの借用語とする説が有力である。明治期の西洋服制度導入に際し、衣類とともに語彙も欧州各言語から吸収された例であり、英語pants・trousersがそれぞれ異なる意味（日本語ではパンツが下着を指す）で転用された経緯とともに、日本語外来語吸収の非体系的性格を示す典型例となっている。
‘Zubon’ no gogen ni tsuite wa shosetu sonzai suru ga, Furansugo jupon (andaa sukaato pechikoto) kara no shakuyougo to suru setsu ga yuukyoku de aru. Meiji-ki no seiyou-fuku seido dounyu ni saishi, ifuku to tomo ni goi mo Oushuu kaku gengo kara kyuushu sareta rei de ari, eigo pants trousers ga sorezore kotonaru imi (Nihongo de wa pantsu ga shitagi wo sasu) de ten’you sareta ikigai to tomo ni, Nihongo gairaigo kyuushu no hi-taikei-teki seikaku wo shimesu tenkei-rei to natte iru.
Various theories exist about the etymology of ‘zubon,’ but the theory that it is borrowed from French ‘jupon’ (underskirt/petticoat) is most influential. It is an example of vocabulary being absorbed from various European languages along with the clothes themselves during the introduction of Western clothing systems in the Meiji era, and together with the circumstances where English ‘pants’ and ‘trousers’ were repurposed with different meanings (in Japanese, ‘pantsu’ refers to underwear), it represents a typical example of the non-systematic nature of Japanese loanword absorption.
The Meiji era’s adoption of Western clothing represents one of the most dramatic cultural shifts in Japanese history. Before Meiji, most Japanese wore kimono — a tradition stretching back centuries. The government’s decision to adopt Western dress for military and official contexts (1870s) quickly cascaded into broader society. Men adopted Western trousers and jackets for work while women more slowly transitioned. Today, Western clothing is dominant in daily life while kimono appears at formal occasions, ceremonies, and traditional arts contexts.
School uniforms (制服, seifuku) in Japan specify exactly what ズボン students must wear. Boys typically wear dark navy or black slacks as part of their gakuran (学ラン — traditional button-up jacket with trousers) or blazer-style uniforms. The uniformity of school clothing is partly practical (removes clothing-based social distinctions among students) and partly traditional (Japanese schools maintain distinctive institutional identities partly through their uniforms). Some high schools have become famous for their uniform designs, and graduating students’ uniforms are treasured keepsakes.
Disclosure: This site may contain affiliate links. We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.