宅

• Reading: たく
• Romaji: taku
• Kanji breakdown: 宅 (taku) — house, home, residence
• Pronunciation: /ta.kɯ/

Meaning

House; home; residence. Often used as a suffix or in formal reference to someone's home.

A noun and suffix used formally to refer to someone's residence. Common in compounds like 自宅 (jitaku, one's own home), 宅配 (takuhai, home delivery), and お宅 (otaku, your home/house). As a suffix, it attaches to names: 田中宅 (Tanaka-taku, the Tanaka residence).

Examples

1. 今日は自宅で仕事をしている。 I'm working from home today.
2. 宅配便が午後に届く予定です。 A delivery package is scheduled to arrive in the afternoon.
3. 山田宅に資料を届けてきた。 I dropped off the documents at the Yamada residence.

Usage Guide

Context: addresses, delivery, business

Tone: formal

Origin & History

The kanji 宅 combines 宀 (roof) and 乇 (sprout/entrust), representing a dwelling or place one is entrusted to. Originally meant one's settled home.

Cultural Context

Era: Classical

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal