Hanfu in Chinese is 汉服, pronounced hànfú (roughly “hahn-foo”). The first character 汉 means Han Chinese; the second 服 means clothing. Together they mean “Han Chinese clothing”.
How it is written and pronounced
| Chinese | Pinyin | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 汉服 | hànfú | Han Chinese clothing (the traditional dress) |
| 汉 | hàn | The Han Chinese people |
| 服 | fú | Clothing, garment |
In Taiwan and some overseas communities you will also see 漢服 — the same two characters in traditional form. Simplified 汉服 and traditional 漢服 are the same word.
The terms people confuse it with
古装 (gǔzhuāng) — “ancient costume”
A general term for historical-looking costume. It covers hanfu, but also film costumes, fantasy outfits and stage wear. Hanfu is a subset of 古装, not a synonym.
影楼装 (yǐnglóu zhuāng) — “photo studio costume”
Cheap, simplified costumes made for photography studios. They look vaguely historical but are not historically accurate. Hanfu enthusiasts use the term as a criticism.
同袍 (tóngpáo) — “fellow wearers”
The community term for other people in the hanfu movement — literally “same robe”, a reference to the classic line about sharing a robe with a comrade.
汉元素 (hàn yuánsù) — “Han elements”
Modern clothing that borrows hanfu details — a stand collar on a shirt, frog buttons on a jacket — without being hanfu.
Why the term matters
The modern hanfu movement (汉服运动) revived the word in the early 2000s to distinguish historical Han Chinese dress from generic costume. The distinction is important when you buy: a listing described as 汉服 should tell you which dynasty; a listing described as 古装 usually will not.
Related vocabulary
| Chinese | Pinyin | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 交领 | jiāolǐng | Cross collar — the Y-shaped closure |
| 右衽 | yòurèn | Right-side overlap (the correct direction for living wear) |
| 马面裙 | mǎmiànqún | Horse-face skirt |
| 袄裙 | ǎoqún | Ming top-and-skirt combination |
| 襦裙 | rúqún | Top-over-skirt combination |
| 褙子 | bèizi | Long open-front jacket |
| 披帛 | pībó | Long scarf draped over the arms |
For the full index of garment types, see types of hanfu.
How to search for hanfu in Chinese
If you are buying from a Chinese marketplace, searching 汉服 gives you far more results than the English word. Add a dynasty to narrow it: 明制汉服 (Ming-style), 唐制汉服 (Tang-style), 宋制汉服 (Song-style). Add 女 for women, 男 for men.
Frequently asked questions
Is hanfu written 汉服 or 漢服?
Both. 汉服 is simplified Chinese (mainland); 漢服 is traditional. Same word, same meaning.
How do you pronounce hanfu?
Hànfú — “hahn” with a falling tone, then “foo” with a rising tone. The English approximation “han-foo” is close enough.
Is hanfu the same as hanbok?
No. 汉服 (hànfú) is Chinese; 한복 / 韩服 (hanbok) is Korean. They sound similar in English but the characters are different — see is hanfu Chinese or Korean?.
What is the Chinese word for a hanfu dress?
There is no single word — hanfu is a category. A dress-like piece is usually 襦裙 (ruqun, top plus skirt) or 连衣裙 (a one-piece dress in modern terms).
Read next: types of hanfu · what is a Chinese hanfu dress?