Japanese word

住む

Pronunciation

Romajisumu

Meaning

  • verblive

Example

母と京都に住みます。haha to kyō to ni su mi ma su

I live in Kyoto with my mother.

Illustration for 住む (live)

More examples

友だちは学校の近くに住んでいます。tomo da chi wa gak kō no chika ku ni su n de i ma su

My friend lives near the school.

将来は海の近くに住みます。shō rai wa umi no chika ku ni su mi ma su

I will live near the sea in the future.

Core concept

住む (sumu) describes continuing daily life in a place that serves as one's home.

Common phrases

  • 東京に住むtō kyō ni su mu

    live in Tokyo

  • 一人で住むhito ri de su mu

    live alone

  • 近くに住むchika ku ni su mu

    live nearby

Similar words

暮らすkurasu: To carry on daily life in a place that serves as a home.
居住するkyojūsuru: To live in a place as a resident, often in formal writing.

Definition in Japanese

一定の場所を居所として日常生活を送る。it tei no ba sho o i dokoro to shi te nichi jō sei katsu o oku ru

Word origin

住む (sumu) is an old native Japanese verb meaning "to reside," not a borrowing from Chinese; the character 住 (jū, "reside") represents this verb in writing.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 住む (sumu) describes having a home in a place, whereas いる (iru) describes simply being present there.

Related words

Word lists with this word