住(す)まい

すまい

noun

residence, dwelling

building

1. residence, dwelling, home

A place where someone lives. A slightly refined or polite way to refer to someone's home or dwelling.

お住(す)まいはどちらですか。

Where do you live?

Polite way to ask someone's address.

新(あたら)しい住(す)まいを探(さが)している。

I'm looking for a new place to live.

快適(かいてき)な住(す)まいを実現(じつげん)するために、リフォームを決(き)めた。

I decided on a renovation to achieve a comfortable living space.

Derived from the verb 住(す)む (to live). Softer and more polite than 家(いえ) (house) and less formal than 住居(じゅうきょ) (dwelling/residence). Commonly used in real estate contexts and polite conversation. The polite form お住(す)まい is a standard way to ask where someone lives.

Common collocations

お住(す)まい (your residence — polite)
住(す)まいを探(さが)す (look for a place to live)
住(す)まいの環境(かんきょう) (living environment)
住(す)まい探(さが)し (house-hunting)

Related Words

Related: 住(す)む (to live (source verb))

Synonym: 住居(じゅうきょ) (more formal)

Compare: 居住地(きょじゅうち) (place of residence)

Compare: 居住空間(きょじゅうくうかん) (living space)

general

Added 2026.2.17 22:17 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

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