Word
大家
Meaning in Englishlandlord, property owner
Animated kanji stroke order
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)