How to say "hostel" in Japanese

Choosing the right word

寮りょうJLPT N2approx.Common
nounCovers the dormitory sense: shared housing attached to a school or workplace where students or employees live. Its 'hostel' gloss reflects this communal lodging, not inexpensive accommodation for travelers.
私の大学だいがくには寮りょうがあります。↗
My university has a dorm.
ホステルCommon
nounThe loanword for hostel in the travel sense: inexpensive lodging where guests share rooms and facilities, the word you want for staying at a hostel on a trip.

Use 「ホステル」 for the travel sense of 'hostel', inexpensive shared lodging for travelers; 寮 is a dormitory, shared housing for students or employees, and only loosely matches 'hostel' in that communal sense.

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

Japanese equivalents

寮りょうhostel
ホステルhostel
バッパーhostel

JLPT vocabulary levels are community estimates, not official (no official lists have been published since the 2010 revision).

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