1.
residence, dwelling, home
A place where someone lives. A slightly refined or polite way to refer to someone's home or dwelling.
お住まいはどちらですか。
Where do you live?
Polite way to ask someone's address.
新しい住まいを探している。
I'm looking for a new place to live.
快適な住まいを実現するために、リフォームを決めた。
I decided on a renovation to achieve a comfortable living space.
Derived from the verb 住む (to live). Softer and more polite than 家 (house) and less formal than 住居 (dwelling/residence). Commonly used in real estate contexts and polite conversation. The polite form お住まい is a standard way to ask where someone lives.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- お住まい (your residence — polite)
- 住まいを探す (look for a place to live)
- 住まいの環境 (living environment)
- 住まい探し (house-hunting)