大家

• Reading: おおや
• Romaji: ooya
• Kanji breakdown: 大 (dai/oo) — big, great; 家 (ka/ya) — house, home
• Pronunciation: /o.o.ja/

Meaning

Landlord; property owner who rents out housing to tenants.

A noun read as おおや when meaning 'landlord' (the person who owns and rents out property). Not to be confused with the reading たいか, which means 'great master/authority' in a field. Very common in everyday life discussions about renting apartments. Often appears with さん: 大家さん (the landlord).

Examples

1. 大家さんに家賃を払いに行った。 I went to pay the rent to my landlord.
2. 水漏れがあったので大家さんに連絡した。 There was a water leak, so I contacted my landlord.
3. 新しい大家さんはとても親切な人だ。 The new landlord is a very kind person.

Usage Guide

Context: housing, renting, daily life

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 大 (big, great) and 家 (house, family). The original meaning was 'big house' or 'main household,' which evolved to mean the owner of rental property — the person with the big house who rents out rooms.

Cultural Context

Era: Edo period

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal