Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 家 | ie | [ie̞] (narrow) [ɯ̟t͡ɕi] (narrow) |
|
| 家屋 | kaoku | [ka̠o̞kɯ̟] (narrow) | |
| お宅 | otaku | [o̞ta̠kɯ̟] (narrow) | honorific |
| お住まい | osumai | honorific | |
| 一戸建て | ikkodate | [ik̚ko̞da̠te̞] (narrow) | standalone |
The term 家 is used to refer to a human abode and can describe both the physical building of a house and the conceptual idea of one's home or household. While 家 is the most common way to refer to a house or home in a general sense, the informal term uchi can also be used to mean either 'house' or 'home'.
Which one should you use?
家 is a neutral, general term for a house or home. If you want to specifically refer to a detached house or a single-family home as opposed to an apartment or condo, use 一戸建て.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
In informal settings, you might use uchi to mean house or home. For polite or honorific situations, use お宅 to refer to someone else's house or household or お住まい to politely refer to someone's residence or place of living.
How do you pronounce it?
ie
Did you know?
- The polite term お宅 (otaku) is used to refer to someone else's house, but in modern Japanese, it is also the root for the word used to describe people with intense hobbies.
- The polite term お宅 is used not just for a building, but as a second-person pronoun to address a stranger politely without using their name.
- While 一戸建て describes a detached house, the counter 戸 used within it originally referred to a door.
Examples in context
- 家に来てよ！Come to my house.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 家 in an invitation.Tatoeba #1516341 by bunbuku, translation #250566 by CK
- 家が見える。I see a house.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 家 when describing sight.Tatoeba #8572172 by small_snow, translation #871785 by CK
- 大きな家ね。It's a big house.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of 家 when describing a characteristic.Tatoeba #13089110 by small_snow, translation #12762199 by rul
- 1121 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about a new house.
- 陽葵 Himari新しい家、すごくおしゃれだね。Atarashii ie, sugoku oshare da ne.Your new house is very stylish.
- 蓮 Renありがとう。陽葵、今度遊びに来てよ。Arigatou. Himari, kondo asobi ni kite yo.Thanks. Himari, come visit sometime.
- 陽葵 Himari嬉しい！いつ行けばいい？Ureshii! Itsu ikeba ii?I'd love to! When should I come?
- 蓮 Ren来週の週末はどうかな？Raishuu no shuumatsu wa dou kana?How about next weekend?
Sources
- Wiktionary, “house” translations and entries 家, 家屋, お宅, 一戸建て, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
