帽子

• Reading: ぼうし
• Romaji: boushi
• Kanji breakdown: 帽 (bō) — cap, headwear; 子 (shi/ko) — child, diminutive suffix
• Pronunciation: /boː.ɕi/

Meaning

Hat; cap. General term for headwear of all types.

Covers all types of headwear — baseball caps, sun hats, beanies, and formal hats. Common compounds include 野球帽 (baseball cap) and 麦わら帽子 (straw hat). Hats are put on using かぶる (to put on head). In Japanese schools, students often wear designated hats as part of their uniform.

Examples

1. 今日は暑いから帽子をかぶります。 It's hot today, so I'll wear a hat.
2. あの赤い帽子がいいですね。 That red hat looks nice, doesn't it?
3. 部屋の中で帽子を取ってください。 Please take off your hat indoors.

Usage Guide

Context: daily life, outdoors, fashion

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Compound of 帽 (bō, headwear/cap) and 子 (shi, a diminutive suffix common in object names). The kanji 帽 contains the cloth radical 巾, indicating textile headwear.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal