Japanese word

茶の間

Pronunciation

Romajichanoma

Meaning

  • nounliving room

Example

茶の間で家族と話します。cha no ma de ka zoku to hana shi ma su

I talk with my family in the living room.

Illustration for 茶の間 (living room)

More examples

祖父は夕食の後、茶の間で新聞を読みます。so fu wa yū shoku no ato cha no ma de shin bun o yo mi ma su

My grandfather reads the newspaper in the living room after dinner.

Core concept

Refers to the shared room where people in a household spend time together, rather than to a room defined by a particular activity.

Common phrases

  • 茶の間でくつろぐcha no ma de ku tsu ro gu

    relax in the living room

  • 茶の間に集まるcha no ma ni atsu ma ru

    gather in the living room

Similar words

居間ima: A room in a home where household members relax and carry out daily activities.
リビングribingu: A main room in a modern home used for relaxing and spending time together.

Definition in Japanese

家の中で、家族が集まり、くつろいだり話をしたりする部屋。ie no naka de ka zoku ga atsu ma ri ku tsu ro i da ri hanashi o shi ta ri su ru heya

Word origin

The noun 茶の間 (chanoma) is formed from 茶 (cha, "tea"), の (no, "of"), and 間 (ma, "space or room"), originally referring to a room where tea was served.

Usage tips

  • In the expression お茶の間 (ochanoma), the word can refer to people watching television at home, so it extends from a household room to its audience.

Word lists with this word