住む|すむsumu[1]atamadaka (head-high)
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- godan verb, intransitive verbto live (of humans); to reside; to inhabit; to dwell; to abide
Conjugation
| Dictionary form | 住む(すむ) |
|---|---|
| Polite (masu) | 住みます(すみます) |
| Negative (nai) | 住まない(すまない) |
| polite (masen) | 住みません(すみません) |
| classical zu / nu | 住まず・住まぬ(すまず・すまぬ) |
| Past (ta) | 住んだ(すんだ) |
| polite (mashita) | 住みました(すみました) |
| Past negative (nakatta) | 住まなかった(すまなかった) |
| polite (masen deshita) | 住みませんでした(すみませんでした) |
| Te form | 住んで(すんで) |
| Potential | 住める(すめる) |
| Passive | 住まれる(すまれる) |
| Causative | 住ませる(すませる) |
| Causative passive | 住ませられる・住まされる(すませられる・すまされる) |
| Conditional (ba) | 住めば(すめば) |
| tara | 住んだら(すんだら) |
| Volitional | 住もう(すもう) |
| polite (mashou) | 住みましょう(すみましょう) |
| Imperative | 住め(すめ) |
Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.
- Synonym住まうすまうWrittenA written, elegant and slightly old-fashioned way to say one lives somewhere, as in 「この地に住まう人々」; not for everyday speech.
- Synonym棲むすむNeutralSaid of animals making their home somewhere, as in 「森に棲む鳥」; for people, 「住む」 is the usual verb.
- Synonym居住きょじゅうNeutralA Sino-Japanese word for residing, mostly in administrative and legal contexts, as in 「居住地」 and 「居住者」.
- Related生息せいそくWrittenWritten word for organisms living and surviving in a habitat; used of animals and plants, as in 「生息地」.
- Related住するじゅうするWrittenA written, literary verb meaning to live or stay, found in classical and Buddhist texts; in modern daily speech say 「住む」.
- Antonym去るさるNeutralThe opposite of 「住む」: to leave the place where one has been living, as in 「故郷を去る」.
- Antonym離れるはなれるNeutralThe opposite of 「住む」: to leave or move away from the place where one is.
For people, 「住む」 is the default. Use 「棲む」 for animals, 「生息」 for organisms living in a habitat, 「居住」 in administrative or legal contexts, and 「住まう」 for an elegant written tone; 「住する」 is literary. 「去る」 and 「離れる」 are the opposites.
Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only


