大家(おおや)さん

おおやさん
noun
landlord; landlady; property owner
informalpolitebuildingperson
1. landlord; landlady; property owner
The owner of a rental property — apartment, house, or building — who rents it out to tenants. The さん suffix adds a respectful, familiar tone.
大家(おおや)さんに家賃(やちん)を払(はら)う。
Pay rent to the landlord.
大家(おおや)さんに修理(しゅうり)を頼(たの)んだ。
I asked the landlord to make repairs.
うちの大家(おおや)さんはとても親切(しんせつ)で、引(ひ)っ越(こ)しの時(とき)も手伝(てつだ)ってくれた。
Our landlord is very kind and even helped us when we moved in.

The word 大家(おおや) means landlord/property owner, and さん is the standard respectful suffix. In everyday conversation, 大家(おおや)さん is far more common than the plain form 大家(おおや).

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 家主(やぬし): landlord, property owner — more formal, used in legal and real estate contexts
  • 貸主(かしぬし): lessor — legal/contractual term
  • 管理人(かんりにん): building manager, superintendent — manages the property but may not own it

Watch out

Do not confuse with 大家(たいか) (master, authority in a field), which uses the same kanji but a different reading. 大家(おおや)さん always refers to a landlord.

Related Words

Compare: 家主(やぬし) (landlord, property owner)
Compare: 管理人(かんりにん) (building manager, superintendent)
general
Added 2026.5.6 0:08 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02
26500/26895_ooyasan