How to say 'Western' in Japanese | 洋

word

Meaning

Western

Reading

Kanji

洋Ocean, Western style

Explanation

The Japanese suffix '洋 (よう)' means 'western' and is often used to denote something related to the West or Western culture. It is commonly attached to nouns to form compound words. For example: Western food「洋食」(ようしょく), Western-style room「洋室」(ようしつ), and Western clothing「洋服」(ようふく). This suffix is particularly useful when distinguishing between traditional Japanese items and their Western counterparts. Another example: Western music「洋楽」(ようがく). Note that '洋' can also refer to the ocean in other contexts, but as a suffix, it predominantly conveys the meaning of 'western'.

Part Of Speech

suffix

Kanji JLPT

Kanji Grade

Frequency

2263

Composition

kanji

Handwriting