How to say "house" in Japanese

• 家いえJLPT N5approx.Common
  nounThe ordinary word for the house or dwelling one lives in, extending naturally to the sense of 'home'; the default choice in everyday speech when talking about your own or someone's house.
  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.
• ハウスCommon
  nounA loanword for 'house' that in practice rarely stands alone; it turns up chiefly in set expressions and advertising-style usage, and is not the usual way to refer to one's own home.
• 宅たくJLPT N3approx.Common
  noun, noun (suffix)Glossed 'house; home', but in actual use it generally appears as an element within larger expressions rather than on its own; to speak of your own house, 家 is the word you want.
  ワシントン市しの友人宅ゆうじんたくに泊とまります。↗

  I'm staying at my friend's house in Washington City.
• 家屋かおくJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounTreats a house as a physical building or structure rather than as home; found mainly in written, official and technical contexts, and not the word for everyday talk about where you live.
  この前まえの嵐あらしで数すう軒けんの家屋かおくが被害ひがいを受うけた。↗

  Several houses were damaged in the last storm.
• 宿すやどすCommon
  godan verb, transitive verbA verb, not the noun: it means to house or contain something within — to harbour a feeling, or to hold dew on leaves — and is not a way to refer to a house itself.

For the noun 'house', 家 is the everyday choice for one's house or home; 家屋 views it as a building, 宅 and 「ハウス」 rarely stand alone, and 「宿す」 is the verb 'to house'.

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

• 家いえhouse
• ハウスhouse
• 宅たくhouse
• 家屋かおくhouse
• 宿すやどすto house
• 住まいすまいdwelling
• 住居じゅうきょdwelling
• 舎しゃhut
• メゾンhouse
• 人家じんかhouse
• 家けhouse
• 住処すみかdwelling
• カーサhouse
• 小宅しょうたくhouse
• 建ち家たちいえhouse
• 屋おくhouse
• 屋舎おくしゃbuilding
• 住屋じゅうおくdwelling
• 邸宅ていたく(large) house
• 戸建てこだて(separate) house
• 住家じゅうか(residential) house
• 民屋みんおく(private) house
• うちhouse
• 宿やどhouse
• 議院ぎいんhouse (of parliament, etc.)
• 門かどhouse
• 屋やhouse