住む|すむsumu[1]atamadaka (head-high)

JLPT N5approx.Common
Definitions
  1. godan verb, intransitive verbto live (of humans); to reside; to inhabit; to dwell; to abide
    あなたはどのくらいの間あいだ、神戸こうべに住すんでいますか。↗
    How long have you lived in Kobe?
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.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • 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

Japanese definitions
  1. ある家屋かおく等とう一定いっていの場所ばしょ・領域りょういきにおいて、普段ふだん寝起ねおきする。生活せいかつする。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents

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

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