礼服

• Pinyin: lǐ fú
• Hanzi breakdown: 礼 = 礻(ritual radical) + 乙 (phonetic); 服 = 月 (body radical) + 𠂉 + 又 (hand — follow/wear)

Meaning

Formal dress; ceremonial attire; an outfit worn for special or official occasions.

Covers a range of formal wear including tuxedos, evening gowns, wedding dresses, and military dress uniforms. Used across social, diplomatic, and entertainment contexts. Distinct from 制服 (uniform) in that 礼服 is occasion-specific rather than role-specific.

Examples

1. 受邀参加颁奖典礼的嘉宾都身着华丽的礼服出席。 Guests invited to the awards ceremony all attended in elegant formalwear.
2. 新娘精心挑选了一件白色拖尾礼服，优雅而庄重。 The bride carefully chose a white, floor-length gown, elegant and dignified.
3. 外交官在正式国宴上均需穿着规定的礼服出席。 At an official state banquet, diplomats are required to attend in the prescribed formal attire.

Usage Guide

Context: fashion, events, diplomacy, weddings

Tone: formal

Do Say

• 出席正式晚宴时，宾客被要求穿着礼服。(Guests attending the formal dinner were required to wear ceremonial attire.)
• 她特地在婚礼前三个月开始定制自己的婚礼礼服。(She began commissioning her wedding dress three months before the ceremony.)

Don't Say

• 将礼服与便服混用在正式场合描述中 — 礼服特指正式典礼场合的盛装，便服是日常非正式服装，两者不可互换

Origin & History

礼 (rites/ceremony) + 服 (clothing/attire)

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal