Translation guide
The English phrase 'dress up' can mean wearing formal clothes, wearing a costume, or making something look more attractive. This guide covers natural Japanese expressions for each situation.
To put on nicer clothes than usual, such as for a party, ceremony, or special occasion.
Means to wear formal attire. Often used for events like weddings or ceremonies.
結婚式には正装してください。
Please dress up for the wedding.
A common, casual way to say 'dress up nicely' or 'make an effort with your appearance'.
今夜はおしゃれをして出かけよう。
Let's dress up and go out tonight.
A loanword from English, used for dressing up in a stylish or glamorous way, often for parties.
パーティーにドレスアップして行った。
I dressed up for the party.
Literally 'wear proper clothes', implying neat, smart attire rather than casual wear.
面接にはきちんとした服を着て行きなさい。
Dress up for the interview.
To put on special clothes to look like someone or something else, such as for Halloween or a play.
The standard word for dressing up in a costume, especially for events like Halloween or cosplay.
ハロウィンで仮装するのが好きです。
I like dressing up for Halloween.
Short for 'costume play', used for dressing up as a specific character from anime, games, etc.
彼はアニメのキャラクターにコスプレしている。
He is dressed up as an anime character.
Means to disguise oneself, often to avoid being recognized. Not for festive costumes.
Use 仮装 for fun costumes; 変装 implies deception.
スパイは変装してパーティーに潜入した。
The spy dressed up and infiltrated the party.
To decorate or embellish something, like a room, food, or a story.
To decorate or dress up a place or object.
部屋を花で飾り付けよう。
Let's dress up the room with flowers.
Specifically for arranging food attractively on a plate.
Colloquial for exaggerating or embellishing a story.
彼はいつも話を盛る。
He always dresses up his stories.
Both mean 'dress up nicely', but おしゃれをする is a native Japanese phrase used in daily conversation, while ドレスアップする is a loanword that often implies a more glamorous, party-ready look.
今日はおしゃれをしてるね。
You're dressed up today.
彼女はドレスアップしてパーティーに行った。
She dressed up and went to the party.
ドレスアップする is only for formal or stylish dressing. For costumes, use 仮装する or コスプレする.
サラダをきれいに盛り付けてください。
Please dress up the salad nicely.