別荘
bessō[be̞sːo̞ː]
The Japanese word for villa is 別荘 (bessō). Wiktionary also lists ヴィラ (vira) and ヴィッラ (virra).
Meaning: a house used as a retreat (noun)
Ways to say it
| Japanese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA |
|---|---|---|
| 別荘 | bessō | [be̞sːo̞ː] (narrow) |
| ヴィラ | vira | |
| ヴィッラ | virra |
The word 別荘 is often used to describe a luxurious vacation home or a secondary residence away from the city. リゾートマンション is used when referring to luxurious vacation apartments or condominiums found in resort areas.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 別荘 (bessō) is composed of 別 (separate/different) and 荘 (villa/manor).
Which one should you use?
The katakana form ヴィラ (vira) is used primarily in the context of high-end tourism, such as 'villa rentals' or 'resort villas'. 別邸 is a formal term used to refer to a splendid villa or mansion, often associated with nobility or prestigious individuals.
How do you pronounce it?
bessō
Did you know?
- In Japanese, the kanji 荘 in 別荘 was historically used to describe the rural retreats of Buddhist monks and aristocrats, rather than just holiday homes for the wealthy.
- The word 別荘 is sometimes used jokingly to describe a fancy hotel room or a luxury rental that feels like a private home.
- In certain mountain regions, people might refer to a seasonal retreat simply as a 山荘 (sansō), where the first character means 'mountain' instead of 'separate'.
Examples in context
- この別荘の持ち主は誰ですか。Who owns this villa?This sentence shows how to ask about the owner of a 別荘.Tatoeba #219890 by bunbuku, translation #57210 by CM
- 別荘にもどって、三時のおやつ。Returned to the villa, afternoon snack.This sentence illustrates the use of 別荘 in a context of returning to a vacation home.Tatoeba #634955 by blay_paul, translation #634956 by blay_paul
- その別荘は海から歩いてたったの５分だ。The villa is only a five minutes walk from the beach.This sentence demonstrates how to describe the distance from a beach to a 別荘.Tatoeba #3321052 by Tadafumi, translation #3158690 by Hybrid
- 彼女の家族は素敵な別荘を山間に所有しています。Her family owns a beautiful villa in the mountains.
- 高級リゾート地に彼の別邸があります。He has a luxurious villa in a high-end resort area.
- 友達と別荘でバーベキューを楽しんだ。We enjoyed a barbecue at a villa with friends.
- 夏休みにヴィラに泊まってリラックスしたい。I want to stay at a villa and relax during the summer vacation.
- 彼女の家族は海辺の別荘地に別荘を持っています。Her family owns a villa in a coastal villa district.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about summer vacation plans.
- 大翔 Hiroto夏休みは、家族と別荘へ行く予定です。Natsuyasumi wa, kazoku to bessō e iku yotei desu.For summer vacation, I plan to go to a villa with my family.
- 結衣 Yui素敵ですね！どこにある別荘ですか？Suteki desu ne! Doko ni aru bessō desu ka?That sounds lovely! Where is the villa located?
- 大翔 Hiroto軽井沢に、小さな別荘があります。Karuizawa ni, chiisana bessō ga arimasu.There is a small villa in Karuizawa.
- 結衣 Yuiいいですね。涼しくて気持ちよさそうです。Ii desu ne. Suzushikute kimochiyosasō desu.That's nice. It sounds cool and pleasant.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “villa” translations and entries 別荘, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
