When researching patterns there are a number of Japanese terms that show up, sometimes consistent, sometimes mixed, but with the same general meaning in the context of "pattern". The words -moyou, -monyou, -mon, and -gara are all used to refer to the same thing: a pattern or design. When you are researching a word it is sometimes helpful removing the -pattern part or replacing it with a different alternative.
Many repeating patterns are used as a background or fill, these patterns are also called jimonyou (字文様) or background-patterns.
In most cases, the word "pattern" is placed after the design, like in English (note that Japanese does not use spaces between words).
Find below a list of the terms referring to pattern and design with their (different) romanized spellings.
| Word | Kanji・Kana・Romaji | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Moyo, moyou | 模様 ・ もよう ・ moyou | Pattern, design |
| Monyo, monyou | 文様 ・ もんよう ・ monyou | Pattern |
| -Mon | 文 ・ もん ・ mon | Short version of monyou, used in combination with the name of the pattern. When added to the end of a word it makes it a pattern. Not to be confused with the same sounding mon (紋) meaning crest. |
| Gara | 柄 ・ がら ・ gara | Pattern, design |