家
ie[ie̞]
The Japanese word for home is 家, pronounced ie. Wiktionary also lists お住まい (osumai) and お宅 (otaku).
Meaning: house or structure in which someone lives (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 家 | ie | [ie̞] (narrow) [ɯ̟t͡ɕi] (narrow) |
|
| お住まい | osumai | ||
| お宅 | otaku | [o̞ta̠kɯ̟] (narrow) | honorific |
家 refers to both the physical building (house) and the concept of one's home. It can be used to describe a structure in which someone lives.
Which one should you use?
While 家 is the standard word for home, お住まい is a more formal and polite way to refer to someone's residence. お宅 is a polite way to refer to someone else's house or home, but never use it to refer to your own home.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
お住まい is a more formal and polite way to refer to someone's residence. お宅 is an honorific term used to refer to someone else's home politely.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When expressing that an action is occurring 'at home' (the location of an activity), use the particle で with 家. When expressing movement 'to' or 'towards' home, use the particle に or へ with 家.
How do you pronounce it?
ie
Did you know?
- The polite term お宅 can also be used as a pronoun meaning 'you' in certain contexts, such as when addressing a stranger or a customer.
- In Japanese, the word 家 can refer to a 'house' as a building, a 'family lineage' or 'household', and even a 'profession' in certain contexts.
- In Japanese, the concept of 'home' is deeply connected to the idea of 'inside' through the word うち, which can mean one's home, one's family, or even one's own group.
Examples in context
- 家に帰るよ。I leave to go home.This sentence is useful for practicing the movement 'to home' using 家.Tatoeba #187096 by bunbuku, translation #24233 by AMIKEMA
- 家に来いよ。Come home.This sentence is useful for practicing the command to 'come home' using 家.Tatoeba #1516317 by bunbuku, translation #413767 by Scott
- 家に帰るの？Are you going home?This sentence is useful for asking a question about going 'home' using 家.Tatoeba #8699812 by bunbuku, translation #2852258 by CK
- 私は家に帰ります。I'm going home.
- お宅にお邪魔してもいいですか？May I come to your home?
- この住まいは広々としていますね。This home is spacious, isn't it?
- 今、家に帰るよ。I'm going home now.
- 1100 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are talking about their weekend plans.
- 健太 Kenta今週末、家でゆっくりするよ。Konshūmatsu, ie de yukkuri suru yo.I'm going to relax at home this weekend.
- 結衣 Yuiいいな。私も家で本を読みたい。Ii na. Watashi mo ie de hon o yomitai.That's nice. I want to read a book at home too.
- 健太 Kenta結衣の家は静かそうだね。Yui no ie wa shizuka sō da ne.Your home seems like it would be quiet, Yui.
- 結衣 Yuiうん、とても静かだよ。Un, totemo shizuka da yo.Yeah, it's very quiet.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “home” translations and entries 家, お宅, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
