住まい

• Reading: すまい
• Romaji: sumai
• Kanji breakdown: 住 (juu/su) — dwell, reside, live
• Pronunciation: /sɯ.ma.i/

Meaning

Dwelling; residence; home. The place where one lives, encompassing both the location and the building itself.

A noun derived from the verb 住む (sumu, to live/reside). More refined and slightly formal than 家 (ie, house) or うち (uchi, home). Frequently used in real estate, housing advertisements, and formal contexts. Common collocations include 住まいを探す (sumai wo sagasu, to look for a place to live) and 住まい選び (sumai erabi, choosing a residence).

Examples

1. 東京で新しい住まいを探している。 I'm looking for a new place to live in Tokyo.
2. 駅から近い住まいは家賃が高い傾向にある。 Residences close to the station tend to have high rent.
3. 理想の住まいについて家族で話し合った。 Our family talked about what our ideal home would look like.

Usage Guide

Context: real estate, daily life, housing

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

From the native Japanese verb 住む (sumu, to dwell). The い ending nominalises the verb stem, creating a word for the act or place of dwelling.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal