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
主催
shusai
organization, sponsorship, to host
N1
主食
shushoku
staple food
N1
主人公
shujinkou
protagonist
N1
主体
shutai
subject, main constituent
N1
主題
shudai
subject, theme, motif
N1
墓地
bochi
cemetery, graveyard
N1
余地
yochi
place, room, margin
N1
領地
ryouchi
territory
N2
各地
kakuchi
various parts of the country