Translation guide
A place to live for a short period, such as a shelter, a temporary home, or a makeshift residence. Japanese offers different words depending on the reason for temporariness, the type of structure, and the level of formality.
A basic, often improvised place to stay temporarily, such as a shack, hut, or emergency shelter.
General term for a temporary residence. Neutral and widely used for any short-term living situation.
新しい家が完成するまで仮住まいをしています。
We are living in a temporary dwelling until the new house is finished.
A temporary hut or shack, often built for a specific purpose like a construction site office or emergency shelter. Slightly more physical/structure-focused than 仮住まい.
地震の後、被災者は仮小屋で生活した。
After the earthquake, the victims lived in temporary huts.
Loanword from English 'barrack'. Refers to a rough, hastily built shack or barracks, often with a negative connotation of poor quality. Used in contexts like slums or post-disaster temporary housing.
彼らはバラックのような家に住んでいる。
They live in a house like a shack.
A place provided for people displaced by disasters, such as an evacuation center or temporary housing unit.
Evacuation shelter, typically a public facility like a school gymnasium used during disasters. Not a private dwelling but a communal shelter.
台風のため、多くの人が避難所に避難した。
Many people evacuated to shelters because of the typhoon.
Official term for emergency temporary housing, often used in legal or administrative contexts. Abbreviated as 応急仮設.
自治体は応急仮設住宅の建設を急いだ。
The municipality rushed to build emergency temporary housing.
A place rented for a short stay, such as a weekly apartment or a temporary corporate housing.
Short-term rental. Often used for apartments rented on a monthly basis. Can be combined with マンション or アパート.
短期賃貸のマンションを探しています。
I'm looking for a short-term rental apartment.
Weekly mansion: a furnished apartment rented by the week. Common for business travelers or people in transition.
出張中はウィークリーマンションに滞在した。
During the business trip, I stayed in a weekly apartment.
Monthly mansion: similar to a weekly mansion but rented by the month. Often cheaper per day than a weekly.
マンスリーマンションは家具付きで便利です。
Monthly apartments are convenient because they come furnished.
A place to live while waiting for permanent housing, such as during a move or renovation.
Already introduced, but this is the most natural choice for this meaning as well. Emphasizes the transitional nature.
引っ越しの間、一ヶ月だけ仮住まいを借りた。
During the move, I rented a temporary place for just one month.
Literally 'temporary dwelling'. A more descriptive phrase, slightly formal. Good for explaining the concept.
今は一時的な住まいですが、来月には新居に移ります。
It's a temporary dwelling now, but we'll move to our new home next month.
仮住まい is a general term for any temporary living situation. 仮設住宅 specifically refers to government-provided temporary housing after disasters. 避難所 is an evacuation shelter, usually a shared public space, not a private dwelling.
The English phrase 'temporary house' rendered in katakana (テンポラリーハウス) is not commonly used in Japanese. Use 仮住まい or 仮設住宅 instead.
洪水の後、彼らは仮住まいを見つけた。
They found a temporary dwelling after the flood.
その会社は従業員に仮住まいを提供している。
The company provides temporary dwellings for its employees.
Temporary housing built after disasters, often prefabricated units. More permanent than a shelter but still temporary. Commonly used in post-disaster contexts.
被災者に仮設住宅が提供された。
Temporary housing was provided to the disaster victims.