Word
Kana: おおや Romaji: ooya Level: N3

大家

Meaning in English

landlord, property owner

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Dictionary

Word context

What it means

What does 大家 mean? It designates the owner of a property who rents it to others, i.e., a landlord or house owner; in everyday language it is often used with 大家さん when addressing the landlord.

Main meanings

  • Landlord or property owner who rents a building or unit to tenants.
  • Used in real estate or formal writing to refer to the proprietor of a residence; more general or older contexts may use 大家 as a term for the property owner.
  • Not typically used to refer to tenants or residents; the word emphasizes ownership and management of housing.

How to use it

Used mainly in formal, legal, or historical discussions to denote the owner of a dwelling; in everyday casual conversation speakers usually use 家主 or オーナー, and 大家 may appear in writing about property or in fixed phrases like 大家さん.

Variants and close terms

  • 家主 (やぬし) — landlord/householder
  • 地主 (じぬし) — landowner
  • オーナー (ōnā) — owner or landlord, especially in modern borrowing

Composition

  • 大 — large, great
  • 家 — house, home, family
  • Together they form the idea of a person who owns and governs a large house or property; essentially a landlord

Word class

Noun (名詞)

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