住

Live, Reside

す(む) (sumu), す(まう) (sumau)

JLPT N4

Interesting Fact

Unlike many countries where houses are built to last for generations, many Japanese homes are rebuilt after only 30–40 years. 🏠 Earthquakes, changing building standards, and a preference for modern designs have made rebuilding surprisingly common. In Japan, the value is often in the land, not the house itself.

Memory Trick

The earliest forms of 住 showed a person (亻) beside 主, which originally represented something fixed or central. Ancient people used this image to describe someone who had settled down instead of wandering from place to place. Over time, 住 came to mean living in a place permanently rather than simply staying there for a short visit. It wasn't just about having a house—it was about putting down roots.