Japanese word of the day: 靴 (Kutsu)

What does 靴 (Kutsu) mean?

靴 (Kutsu) (noun) – Shoes; footwear. This word refers to all kinds of shoes, from casual sneakers to formal dress shoes. It’s a basic and essential word for talking about what you wear on your feet.

Kanji details for 靴

Character: 靴 — shoes
Radical: leather, rawhide 革

Example sentences with 靴 (Kutsu)

• 新しい靴を買いました。
  (Atarashii kutsu o kaimashita.)
  👞 I bought new shoes.

• この靴はとても履きやすいです。
  (Kono kutsu wa totemo hakiyasui desu.)
  👟 These shoes are very comfortable to wear.

• 靴を脱いでください。
  (Kutsu o nuide kudasai.)
  🚪 Please take off your shoes.

靴 (Kutsu) in context

靴 is a fundamental word in Japanese for any kind of footwear. You’ll use it when shopping for shoes, talking about what you wear, or giving instructions about shoes, such as taking them off before entering a home or certain buildings. In Japan, it’s customary to remove your shoes indoors, so 靴 often comes up in daily life and conversation. You’ll also hear it in compound words like 靴下 (kutsushita, socks) and 靴屋 (kutsuya, shoe store).

A quick tip: The verb 履く (haku) is used with 靴 to mean "to wear shoes" or "to put on footwear." For slippers, you use different verbs like はく (haku) as well, but 靴 specifically refers to shoes.