Word
地主
Meaning in Englishlandlord
Animated kanji stroke order
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)
Related words by kanji and components
N1
下地
shitaji
groundwork, foundation
N1
主導
shudou
main leadership
N1
主任
shunin
person in charge, responsible official
N1
植民地
shokuminchi
colony
N1
地形
chikei
landform, geographical features, topography
N1
地元
jimoto
local
N1
主演
shuen
starring, playing the leading part
N1
主観
shukan
subjectivity, subject, ego
N1
主権
shuken
sovereignty