How to say "dwelling" in Japanese

• 家いえJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounThe ordinary word for the building a person lives in; it covers both 'house' and 'home'. Choose it when 'dwelling' just means the place where someone lives.
  木立こだちの間あいだに家いえが見みえる。↗

  I see a house among the trees.
• 住まいすまいJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounPoints to where a person lives rather than to the building itself, and can also serve for 'address'; a natural choice when asking or talking about someone's home.
  ところで、お住すまいはどちらですか。↗

  By the way, where do you live?
• 住居じゅうきょJLPT N2approx.Common
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verbA noun for a dwelling as a place of residence, most at home in official, legal, or written contexts; in everyday conversation about your own house, 家 or 住まい is the natural pick.
• 住じゅうJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounSeldom the word you want for 'dwelling': by itself it is not used as an ordinary noun, functioning instead as a building block inside other words; choose 家, 住まい, or 住居.
• 在住ざいじゅうCommon
  noun, suru verb, intransitive verb, noun (suffix)Expresses residing or living in a place rather than the dwelling itself; typical when stating where a person lives, as in a profile. It is not a word for a house or building.
  加藤かとう氏しは、パリに在住ざいじゅうしていて、家いえに残のこした家族かぞくを懐なつかしがっている。↗

  Mr. Kato, living in Paris, misses the family he left behind.

Choose 家 for a house or home, 「住まい」 for where someone lives or their address, 住居 for a dwelling in official or written contexts, 在住 for residing somewhere, and not 住, which appears only inside other words.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 家いえhouse
• 住まいすまいdwelling
• 住居じゅうきょdwelling
• 住じゅうdwelling
• 在住ざいじゅうresiding
• 人家じんかhouse
• 住処すみかdwelling
• ドエリングdwelling
• 住屋じゅうおくdwelling
• 居宅きょたくresidence
• ヤサhome
• 居館きょかんresidence
• 宿やどhouse