リビング
ribingu[ɾʲibʲĩŋɡɯ̟]
The Japanese phrase for "living room" is リビング (ribingu) or 居間.
Meaning: room in a private house (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| リビング | ribingu | [ɾʲibʲĩŋɡɯ̟] (narrow) |
| 居間 | ima | [ima̠] (narrow) |
Both terms refer to a room in a private house.
What does it mean word for word?
リビング is a loanword derived from the English word "living" (room).
Which one should you use?
リビング is the most common, modern way to refer to a living room in daily conversation. In contrast, 居間 is a more traditional and formal term for a living room, often used in written contexts or by older generations.
How do you pronounce it?
ribingu
Did you know?
- In many modern Japanese homes, the living room is often combined with the dining room and kitchen into a single space called the LDK, an abbreviation for 'Living, Dining, Kitchen'.
- While リビング refers to a modern lounge, the traditional 居間 was historically the room where the family gathered around an irori, a sunken hearth used for cooking and heating.
- The word 間 in 居間 is the same character used for 'room' in 和室 (Japanese-style room), but it originally referred to the space between pillars in a building.
Examples in context
- リビングだよ。I'm in the living room.This sentence is useful for stating your location using リビング.Tatoeba #10481452 by small_snow, translation #8253684 by francaisr0wlet
- 居間の電気は消したの？Did you switch the light off in the living room?This sentence is useful for asking about the light in the 居間.Tatoeba #9192461 by small_snow, translation #9116261 by sundown
- リビングの電気、消した？Did you turn the light off in the living room?This sentence is useful for asking about the light in the リビング.Tatoeba #9192458 by small_snow, translation #9116262 by sundown
- 私たちは家族で 居間 でテレビを見ます。We watch television in the living room as a family.
- 友達を家に招待して、 リビング でパーティーを開催しました。I invited friends to my house and held a party in the living room.
- 43 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A couple talking at home about cleaning.
- 大翔 Hirotoリビングを掃除した？Ribingu o souji shita?Did you clean the living room?
- 結衣 Yui大翔くん、まだやってないよ。Hiroto-kun, mada yattenai yo.Hiroto, I haven't done it yet.
- 大翔 Hirotoじゃあ、リビングの掃除を手伝うよ。Jaa, ribingu no souji o tetsudau yo.Then, I will help with the living room cleaning.
- 結衣 Yuiありがとう、助かるわ。Arigatou, tasukaru wa.Thank you, that helps.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “living room” translations and entries リビング, 居間, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
