地主
Meaning in Englishlandlord
Animated kanji stroke order
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Word context
What it means
地主 means a landowner, a person who owns land and may lease it to tenants; the term emphasizes ownership of land as property rather than ownership of a building or other assets.
Main meanings
- Landowner or landlord in rural, historical, or legal contexts; refers to someone who owns farmland or large estates.
- In tenancy discussions,地主 is contrasted with 借地人 (しゃくちにん, shakuchinin), the tenant renting land from the landlord.
How to use it
Used in formal, legal, or historical contexts; in everyday speech, people often use 家主 or オーナー when referring to landlords in urban settings.
Variants and close terms
- 家主 (ie-nushi) — owner of a house; romaji: ie-nushi
- オーナー (ōnā) — modern loanword for a property owner; romaji: ōnā
- 持ち主 (mochi-nushi) — generic owner of an item or asset; romaji: mochi-nushi
- 借地人 (しゃくちにん, shakuchinin) — tenant of leased land; romaji: shakuchinin
Composition
- 地: land, earth — the domain in which ownership is asserted
- 主: master, owner — the one who controls or possesses
Etymology
From 地 meaning land and 主 meaning master/owner; the compound yields the kun-reading じぬし (jinushi) in modern Japanese, reflecting native phonology rather than a borrowed reading.
Origin
During classical and Edo-period Japan, 地主 referred to owners of agricultural land who collected rents; later the term broadened to include real estate owners in urban contexts.
Word class
noun (名詞)