メンズ

メ

ン

ズ

JLPTN3Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'

men's (fashion, wear, etc.)

Used as a prefix-like modifier for men's items, especially in fashion and retail contexts. Often contrasted with レディース.

Usage patterns

メンズ用めんずようの〈物もの〉a ~ made for men
メンズ用ようのシャンプーを買かった。
I bought a men's shampoo.
メンズ〈場ば所しょ〉the men's section/floor (of a store)
このデパートのメンズ売うり場ばは3階かいです。
The men's department in this store is on the third floor.

Related words

男だん性せいN4sense 2
男性 is the neutral, standard word for 'men', while メンズ in this slang sense sounds rougher and more casual, often used jokingly among friends.
紳しん士し服ふくN3sense 1
紳士服 is the formal, old-fashioned term for men's clothing used in department stores, while メンズ is the trendier, more casual modifier used especially with younger brands.
男おとこN5sense 2
男 is the plain, everyday word for 'man/men', while メンズ (sense 2) is a slangier, more playful way to say the same thing.

Opposites

レディースN3sense 1
メンズ labels items made for men, while レディース labels the equivalent items made for women, and the two are used as a paired set in retail and fashion contexts.

Word family

ウィメンズ
women's
メンズウェアN3
menswear; men's clothing
メンズブラ
male bra; bra for men
メンズエステ
men's beauty treatment; men's esthetic salon
メンズスーツ
men's suit; suits for men

Etymology

Borrowed from English 'men's', with the possessive 's' reanalyzed as part of the word in Japanese. The slang noun sense developed from the same source.