1.
to dwell, to reside, to lodge
To stay or take up residence somewhere, especially temporarily. A literary or elevated way to describe inhabiting a place.
旅人が小さな宿に宿った。
The traveler lodged at a small inn.
木の枝に鳥が宿っている。
A bird is perching on the tree branch.
葉に露が宿っている。
Dew is resting on the leaves.
2.
to be present in, to inhabit, to reside within
For an abstract quality, spirit, or life force to exist within something. Used figuratively to describe something intangible being contained in a physical form.
言葉に力が宿る。
Power resides in words.
細部に神が宿るという言葉がある。
There is a saying that God dwells in the details.
その作品には作者の魂が宿っている。
The creator's soul resides in that work.
USAGE:
宿る is a literary and poetic word. In modern Japanese, sense 2 (something abstract residing within) is more commonly encountered than sense 1 (physically staying somewhere).
COLLOCATIONS:
- 命が宿る — life dwells within
- 魂が宿る — a soul resides in
- 力が宿る — power resides in
- 露が宿る — dew rests on
SIMILAR WORDS:
住む is the everyday word for living or residing somewhere. 泊まる means to stay overnight at a hotel or someone's house. 宿る has a more literary, sometimes spiritual nuance.