靴

Pattern visualization

Examples

1. 新しい靴を買いました。▶ —
   I bought new shoes.
2. 玄関で靴を脱いでください。▶ —
   Please take off your shoes at the entrance.

Collocations

Mnemonic

靴 kutsu — a culturally loaded word. Japanese homes require taking off shoes at the 玄関 (genkan, sunken entrance), giving the verb pair 履く (haku, put on lower body wear) / 脱ぐ (nugu, take off). Both Korea and Japan share the no-shoes-indoors custom. Verbs for putting on clothing branch by body part: 服 (fuku, clothes) → 着る (kiru), 帽子 (boushi, hat) → かぶる (kaburu), 靴 (kutsu, shoes) → 履く (haku). A perfect anchor for the dressing-verb system.

Quick check

1. Correct verb for "put on shoes"?

   • 靴を履く (haku — correct, lower-body wear)
   • 靴を着る (kiru — body clothing, wrong)
   • 靴をかぶる (kaburu — hat, wrong)
   • 靴をつける (tsukeru — attach/wear small items)