Translation guide
In Japanese, the word for 'residence' depends on formality, context, and whether you're referring to your own home or someone else's. The most common everyday word is 家 (ie/uchi), but formal situations require different terms.
To refer to one's own home or house in casual conversation.
The most common word for 'home' or 'house'. Can be read as いえ or うち. うち is more colloquial and often implies 'my/our home', while いえ refers to the physical building.
私の家は駅の近くです。
My house is near the station.
Please come over to my place.
Means 'one's own home'. Slightly more formal than 家, often used in polite conversation or when distinguishing from other places.
自宅で仕事をしています。
I work from home.
To refer to a place of residence in official documents, formal speech, or when asking about someone's living situation politely.
Means 'address' or 'place of residence'. Used on forms, in official contexts, and when asking for someone's address.
住所を教えてください。
Please tell me your address.
現住所はどこですか？
What is your current residence?
A formal term for 'dwelling' or 'residence', often used in legal or administrative contexts.
A legal term for 'whereabouts' or 'residence', used in specific legal contexts like family registration.
To refer to the official residence of a high-ranking person.
Official residence of a public official like a prime minister or ambassador.
首相公邸で会談が行われた。
The meeting was held at the prime minister's official residence.
Often used specifically for the prime minister's official residence (首相官邸).
To refer to the residence of the emperor, imperial family, or nobility.
Refers to the residence of the emperor or a member of the imperial family. Also used historically for shoguns.
京都御所は観光名所です。
The Kyoto Imperial Palace is a tourist attraction.
A grand residence or mansion, often used for nobility or wealthy individuals.
To refer to a residence for students or workers, often with shared facilities.
Dormitory, often for students or company employees.
大学の寮に住んでいます。
I live in the university dormitory.
A more formal term for dormitory or boarding house, often used in official names.
To refer to a place where one stays temporarily, like a hotel or rented accommodation.
Place of lodging, such as a hotel or inn.
旅行の宿泊先を予約した。
I booked accommodation for the trip.
Place where one is staying, often used for longer temporary stays.
滞在先から連絡があった。
I got a message from the place I'm staying.
The English loanword レジデンス is not commonly used in Japanese except in proper names like apartment buildings. It sounds unnatural in conversation.
いえ refers to the physical house/building, while うち refers to one's home (the place where one belongs). うち is more intimate and often used to mean 'my family' or 'my place'.
When talking about your own residence, you can often omit 'my' if it's clear from context. For example, simply saying 家に帰る (go home) instead of 私の家に帰る.
Trespassing into a residence is a crime.
We cannot proceed because the residence is unknown.
官邸前に抗議の声が集まった。
Protesters gathered in front of the prime minister's residence.
その公爵の邸宅は広大な庭園がある。
The duke's residence has a vast garden.
寄宿舎の規則は厳しい。
The dormitory rules are strict.