住所
jūsho[d͡ʑɨːɕo̞]
In Japanese, the phrase for where someone lives is 住所 (jūsho).
住所 refers to the official physical location or street address of a person's home. It is the specific term used when providing or requesting an address in a formal or business context, such as when filling out an official form.
Which one should you use?
While 住所 is used for a formal address, you can use the phrase 住んでいるところ in casual conversation to mean 'the place where (someone) lives'.
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the phrase with a verb, such as in the expression 住所を教える (to tell one's address), the particle を is used to mark 住所 as the direct object of the verb.
How do you pronounce it?
jūsho
Did you know?
- In Japan, most residential streets are not named, so a 住所 typically identifies a block or district rather than a specific street.
- Unlike Western addresses that go from small to large, a Japanese 住所 is written in the reverse order, starting with the prefecture and ending with the house number. This reflects a cultural preference for moving from the broad context to the specific detail.
- There is a legal distinction between a 住所 and a 本籍地 (honsekichi), which is a permanent ancestral address listed on a family registry.
Examples in context
- 新しい住所を教えてください。Atarashii juusho o oshiete kudasai.Please tell me your new address.
- 荷物を送るために住所が必要です。Nimotsu o okuru tame ni juusho ga hitsuyou desu.I need an address to send the package.
- ここに住所を書いてください。Koko ni juusho o kaite kudasai.Please write your address here.
Example conversation
Yui is filling out a form for Yota.
- 結衣 Yui陽太さんの住所を教えてください。Yōta-san no jūsho o oshiete kudasai.Please tell me your address, Yota.
- 陽太 Yotaいいですよ。メモしてください。Ii desu yo. Memo shite kudasai.Sure. Please take a note.
- 結衣 Yuiはい、書き終わりました。Hai, kaki-owarimashita.Okay, I've finished writing it.
- 陽太 Yotaありがとうございます、結衣さん。Arigatō gozaimasu, Yui-san.Thank you, Yui.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 住所, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
