also: こくえ · くろぎぬ
noun
black clothes; black garment
Refers to black clothing in general. Can be used for everyday wear, formal attire, or symbolic black garments.
葬儀では黒衣を着るのが一般的だ。
It is common to wear black clothes at funerals.
彼は黒衣に身を包んで現れた。
He appeared dressed in black.
Archaic or literary reading. Rarely used in modern Japanese.
黒服 is a more casual term for black clothing, often used in fashion or service industry contexts. 黒衣 is slightly more formal or literary.
Compound of 黒 (black) and 衣 (clothing, garment). The reading こくい is the standard on'yomi reading, while くろぎぬ is a kun'yomi-based reading that is now archaic.