Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| アパート | apāto | [a̠pa̠ːto̞] (narrow) |
| マンション | manshon | [mã̠ɰ̃ɕõ̞ɴ] (narrow) |
| 集合住宅 | shūgō jūtaku | |
| 共同住宅 | kyōdō jūtaku |
The term refers to a domicile occupying part of a building. Related terms you may encounter include 賃貸マンション (rental apartment), 一戸建て (detached house), 駐車場 (parking lot) and エレベーター (elevator). To describe the process of living in one, you can use 入居する for moving in and 退去する for moving out.
Which one should you use?
In daily conversation, people use アパート or マンション to refer to apartments. For more specialized contexts, 集合住宅 (shūgō jūtaku) is a formal, technical term for any multi-unit housing used in legal or real estate settings. Similarly, 共同住宅 (kyōdō jūtaku) is a formal administrative term for multi-family dwellings used in official government or urban planning documents.
How do you pronounce it?
apāto
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful with the word マンション (manshon). While it sounds like the English word 'mansion', in Japanese it refers to an apartment building or condominium rather than a large, luxurious single-family estate.
Did you know?
- When moving into an アパート, it is common to pay 'key money' called 礼金, which is a non-refundable gratuity paid to the landlord.
- Japanese apartments often use a layout called 1K or 1LDK, where 'DK' stands for 'dining kitchen' and 'L' stands for 'living'.
- The term マンション was specifically chosen by developers in the 1950s to make high-density housing sound much more glamorous and high-class than it actually was.
Examples in context
- いいアパートね。This is a great apartment.This sentence is useful for expressing a positive opinion about an アパート.Tatoeba #229463 by bunbuku, translation #66822 by CK
- アパートを借りたかい。Did you rent an apartment?This sentence is useful for asking if someone has rented an アパート.Tatoeba #230402 by bunbuku, translation #67769 by CK
- アパートが燃えている。The apartment building is on fire.This sentence is useful for describing an アパート that is on fire.Tatoeba #230406 by KK_kaku_, translation #1258596 by CK
- 彼は新しいマンションに引っ越しました。He moved to a new apartment.
- 友達のアパートでパーティーを開きます。We're throwing a party at my friend's apartment.
- 76 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hiyori and Kenta are talking about Hiyori's recent move.
- 陽葵 Himari新しいアパートに引っ越しました。Atarashii apāto ni hikkoshimashita.I moved into a new apartment.
- 健太 Kentaいいアパートが見つかったんだね。Ii apāto ga mitsukattanda ne.You found a nice apartment, huh?
- 陽葵 Himariはい、駅に近いアパートです。Hai, eki ni chikai apāto desu.Yes, it's an apartment near the station.
- 健太 Kentaそれは便利でいいですね。Sore wa benri de ii desu ne.That's very convenient.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “apartment” translations and entries アパート, マンション, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries アパート, マンション, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
