What’s the difference between キャップ and ハット in Japanese?

English uses “hat” loosely for almost anything worn on the head, but Japanese divides the category by shape. A ハット has a brim running all the way around, like a straw hat or a fedora. A キャップ has no brim — or just a stiff visor in front, like a baseball cap — and that bucket also covers the knit beanie, which is a ニット帽.

The rule flips what English speakers expect: a floppy sun hat and a stiff fedora are both ハット despite looking nothing alike, because the test is the brim, not the stiffness or style. In the clip, a parent runs through a child’s キャップ, two different ハット examples, and a ニット帽 side by side — a quick visual drill in a distinction English speakers mostly have to learn by trial and error.