1.
dwelling; abode; home; place where one lives
A place where a person lives. Often carries a literary or slightly humble nuance compared to more neutral words like 家.
ここが私の住処です。
This is my home.
都会の喧騒を離れ、山奥に住処を構えた。
Leaving the noise of the city behind, he set up his home deep in the mountains.
長年住み慣れた住処を離れるのはつらい。
It is hard to leave the home you have lived in for many years.
2.
habitat; den; lair
The natural living place of an animal or creature.
森は多くの動物の住処だ。
The forest is home to many animals.
熊の住処に近づいてはいけない。
You must not approach a bear's den.
開発が進んで、野生動物の住処が失われている。
As development advances, the habitats of wild animals are being lost.
Also written as 住み処 or 棲み処 (especially for animal habitats). The word has a literary, slightly poetic quality compared to more everyday terms like 家 or 住居. It implies a place where one has settled and belongs.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 住処を構える: to set up a home; to establish one's dwelling
- 住処を失う: to lose one's home/habitat
- 住処を移す: to move one's dwelling
- 住処を追われる: to be driven from one's home
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 家: house; home — the most common, neutral term
- 住居: residence; dwelling — formal, used in legal and administrative contexts
- 生息地: habitat — the scientific/ecological term for where species live
- 巣: nest; den — specifically an animal's nest or burrow