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For Life
2005.11.28(Review of 2001.01.12 edition)

Hello! Are you ready for a fun week? We're going to talk about clothes - always an interesting topic because of all the Japanese-English going around, which means lot's of opportunity for confusion. To make things even more interesting, we'll just focus on clothes that cover the legs.

So let's put our best foot forward and begin!

Today's LessonCATEGORY: ジャパニーズイングリッシュCATEGORY: 間違えやすいボキャブラリー
PANTS   ズボン

Explanation

  • Pants is the word commonly used for “trousers” in the United States.

    Be Careful[1]! Pants is usually plural (with an “-s”). So even when talking about only ONE piece of clothing, we usually say “THOSE pants”, not “THAT pant”; “SOME pants”, not “A pant”, etc.

    Be Careful[2]! In order to say how many, we usually talk about “pairs” of pants. One pair of pants is one piece of clothing.

    Be Careful[3]! In American English, we do NOT use the word pants like the Japanese パンツ to mean clothing you wear UNDER trousers or a dress. Instead, the general word for such clothing is “underpants”.
  • pants は、アメリカでは通常「ズボン」をさして使う言葉です。

    注意[1]:pants は、常に語尾に -s をつけて複数形にします。ですから、一着のズボンをさす場合でも、those pants、some pants などと言います。that pant、a pant という言い方はしません。

    注意[2]:数を特定したいときは、pair(s) of という表現を使います。一着のズボンなら、one pair of pants となります。

    注意[3]:アメリカ英語では、pants という言葉を、ズボンや衣服の下に着る日本語の「パンツ」の意味では使いません。その場合は、一般的に underpants という言葉を使います。

examples

  1. I tore a hole in my pants when I fell.
  2. Why don't you put on some nicer pants than those old jeans? Everyone else is dressing up.
  3. a: How much do these pants cost?
    b: They're $45 a pair.
  4. I bought three new pairs of pants today. All the pants in my closet were getting old.

英会話レッスンThanks for joining us today!