旅館
ryokan[ɾʲo̞kã̠ɴ]
The Japanese word for inn is 旅館 (ryokan) or 宿屋 (yadoya).
Meaning: lodging (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 旅館 | ryokan | [ɾʲo̞kã̠ɴ] (narrow) |
| 宿屋 | yadoya | [ja̠do̞ja̠] (narrow) [ɕɨkɯ̟ja̠] (narrow) |
While both terms refer to lodging, 旅館 (ryokan) specifically describes a traditional Japanese-style inn.
Which one should you use?
旅館 (ryokan) implies a traditional Japanese-style inn, whereas 宿屋 (yadoya) is a more generic term for any lodging house.
How do you pronounce it?
ryokan
Did you know?
- The specific pronunciation shuku in the Echizen area was used to distinguish inns that had more decorative and fire-resistant roofs.
- Many traditional 旅館 (ryokan) require guests to remove their shoes in a specific area called a genkan before stepping onto the tatami floors.
Examples in context
- 山間の旅館で２泊しました。I spent 2 nights at a mountain Inn.This sentence is useful for describing a stay at a mountain 旅館.Tatoeba #10556969 by small_snow, translation #10573750 by auxitt
- トムは老舗旅館の跡取り息子だよ。Tom is the son and heir to the traditional Japanese inn.This sentence uses the term to refer to an heir of a traditional 旅館.Tatoeba #10140842 by small_snow, translation #10248802 by terrywallwork
- 私は、それを旅館に持って帰った。I brought it back to the inn.This sentence is useful for describing taking something back to an inn using the form 旅館.Tatoeba #10924195 by bunbuku, translation #10924197 by CK
- 3 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Kenta and Yui are discussing their travel plans for the weekend.
- 健太 Kenta週末は、温泉のある旅館に泊まりたいな。Shūmatsu wa, onsen no aru ryokan ni tomaritai na.I want to stay at an inn with a hot spring this weekend.
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね！素敵な旅館を見つけておきます。Ii desu ne! Suteki na ryokan o mitsukete okimasu.That sounds great! I will find a lovely inn.
- 健太 Kenta予約は、僕がやっておくよ。Yoyaku wa, boku ga yatte oku yo.I will take care of the reservation.
- 結衣 Yui助かるわ、ありがとう！Tasukaru wa, arigatō!That helps a lot, thank you!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “inn” translations and entries 旅館, 宿屋, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 宿屋, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
