UNIT 9
Housing, Home & Garbage Rules
Housing, Home & Garbage Rules
Lesson 1: Talking About Your Home
どこにすんでいますか — Describing Where and How You Live
⏱️ About 25 minutes ／ 📊 Level: Beginner (N5) ／ 🗣️ Speaking + Reading
Before You Start
One of the first things people ask when they get to know you in Japan is where you live and what your home is like. In this lesson you will learn how to say where you live, what type of home you have, who you live with, and how to describe its location. These phrases come up constantly — in conversation class, at work, with neighbours, and when filling out forms.
What you will learn:
- Ask and answer “Where do you live?” — どこに住んでいますか / 〇〇に住んでいます
- Say what type of home you live in — アパートに住んでいます / マンションに住んでいます
- Say who you live with — 一人で住んでいます / 家族と住んでいます
- Give your room number — 部屋番号は301です
- Describe your home’s location — 駅から近いです
1. Key Phrases ／ きほんのフレーズ
どこに住んでいますか。
Doko ni sunde imasu ka.
Where do you live?
名古屋に住んでいます。
Nagoya ni sunde imasu.
I live in Nagoya.
アパートに住んでいます。
Apaato ni sunde imasu.
I live in an apartment.
一人で住んでいます。
Hitori de sunde imasu.
I live alone.
家族と住んでいます。
Kazoku to sunde imasu.
I live with my family.
部屋番号は301です。
Heya bangoo wa 301 desu.
My room number is 301.
駅から近いです。
Eki kara chikai desu.
It is near the station.
2. Phrase Notes ／ ポイント
① 〇〇に住んでいます — the core pattern
〜に住んでいます = “I live in/at 〜.” The particle に marks the location, and 住んでいます is the -te iru form of 住む (to live), expressing an ongoing state. This same pattern works for any location.
名古屋に住んでいます。I live in Nagoya.
アパートに住んでいます。I live in an apartment.
マンションに住んでいます。I live in a (concrete) apartment building.
一戸建てに住んでいます。I live in a house.
② 一人で vs 家族と — saying who you live with
The particle changes depending on the situation. で is used with 一人 (alone) to express a state or condition. と is used with people to mean “together with.”
一人で住んでいます。I live alone.
家族と住んでいます。I live with my family.
友達と住んでいます。I live with a friend.
ルームメートと住んでいます。I live with a roommate.
③ 駅から近いです — describing location
から = from. 近い = close / near. 遠い = far. This simple pattern lets you describe your home’s convenience without needing complex directions.
駅から近いです。It is near the station.
駅から遠いです。It is far from the station.
駅から5分です。It is 5 minutes from the station.
⚠️ Common Mistake
Don’t confuse アパート and マンション — in English they both mean “apartment,” but in Japanese they are different. アパート = a smaller, often wooden or light-steel building (2–3 floors, lower rent). マンション = a larger, concrete apartment building (higher quality, often higher rent). Use the one that matches your home.
Don’t confuse アパート and マンション — in English they both mean “apartment,” but in Japanese they are different. アパート = a smaller, often wooden or light-steel building (2–3 floors, lower rent). マンション = a larger, concrete apartment building (higher quality, often higher rent). Use the one that matches your home.
3. Home Types & Location Words ／ じゅうたくのことば
🏠 Types of Home ／ じゅうたくのしゅるい
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| アパート | apaato | apartment (smaller, wooden/light-steel) |
| マンション | manshon | apartment building (larger, concrete) |
| 一戸建て | ikkodate | detached house |
| シェアハウス | shea hausu | shared house |
| 寮 | ryoo | dormitory |
📍 Location Words ／ ばしょのことば
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 近い | chikai | close / near |
| 遠い | tooi | far |
| 〇分 | 〇 fun / pun | 〇 minutes |
| から | kara | from |
4. Conversation Practice ／ かいわ
💬 Conversation 1 — Where Do You Live?
💬 Conversation 2 — Living Alone
💬 Conversation 3 — Living with Family
💬 Conversation 4 — Describing Your Home
5. Vocabulary ／ たんご
| Japanese | Romaji | English |
|---|---|---|
| 住んでいます | sunde imasu | live / reside |
| アパート | apaato | apartment (smaller building) |
| マンション | manshon | apartment building (concrete) |
| 一人で | hitori de | alone / by oneself |
| 家族 | kazoku | family |
| 部屋番号 | heya bangoo | room number |
| 駅 | eki | train station |
| 近い | chikai | near / close |
| 遠い | tooi | far |
6. Check Your Understanding ／ クイズ
Think about each question first. Answers and explanations are shown below.
Q1. What does 「どこに住んでいますか。」 mean?
A. Where is the station? B. What is your room number? C. Where do you live? D. How far is it?
Answer: C
どこに住んでいますか = “Where do you live?” どこ = where. に住んでいます = live in. One of the most natural conversation-starter questions in Japanese.
どこに住んでいますか = “Where do you live?” どこ = where. に住んでいます = live in. One of the most natural conversation-starter questions in Japanese.
Q2. How do you say “I live in Nagoya”?
A. 名古屋が好きです。 B. 名古屋はどこですか。 C. 名古屋に行きたいです。 D. 名古屋に住んでいます。
Answer: D
名古屋に住んでいます = “I live in Nagoya.” The pattern 〇〇に住んでいます works for any city, ward, or type of home.
名古屋に住んでいます = “I live in Nagoya.” The pattern 〇〇に住んでいます works for any city, ward, or type of home.
Q3. What is the difference between アパート and マンション?
A. They mean the same. B. アパート = house; マンション = apartment. C. アパート = smaller apartment; マンション = larger concrete building. D. アパート = dormitory; マンション = shared house.
Answer: C
アパート = a smaller, often wooden building. マンション = a larger, concrete apartment building. In English both are “apartments” but in Japanese they are clearly different.
アパート = a smaller, often wooden building. マンション = a larger, concrete apartment building. In English both are “apartments” but in Japanese they are clearly different.
Q4. How do you say “I live alone”?
A. 家族と住んでいます。 B. 一人で住んでいます。 C. 友達と住んでいます。 D. 一人に住んでいます。
Answer: B
一人で住んでいます = “I live alone.” Note the particle で with 一人, and と when living with someone: 家族と住んでいます.
一人で住んでいます = “I live alone.” Note the particle で with 一人, and と when living with someone: 家族と住んでいます.
Q5. What does 「駅から近いです。」 mean?
A. It is far from the station. B. The station is big. C. It is near the station. D. How many minutes from the station?
Answer: C
駅から近いです = “It is near the station.” から = from. 近い = near. Opposite: 駅から遠いです = “It is far from the station.”
駅から近いです = “It is near the station.” から = from. 近い = near. Opposite: 駅から遠いです = “It is far from the station.”
Q6. Someone asks 「一人ですか。」 and you live with your family. What do you say?
A. はい、一人で住んでいます。 B. いいえ、家族と住んでいます。 C. 駅から近いです。 D. アパートに住んでいます。
Answer: B
いいえ、家族と住んでいます = “No, I live with my family.” Start with いいえ (no) to answer the yes/no question, then give the correct information.
いいえ、家族と住んでいます = “No, I live with my family.” Start with いいえ (no) to answer the yes/no question, then give the correct information.
7. Match the Meaning ／ れんしゅう
どこに住んでいますか。 → ______
名古屋に住んでいます。 → ______
アパートに住んでいます。 → ______
一人で住んでいます。 → ______
家族と住んでいます。 → ______
部屋番号は301です。 → ______
駅から近いです。 → ______
Choices: A. I live in an apartment. B. It is near the station. C. I live with my family. D. Where do you live? E. My room number is 301. F. I live alone. G. I live in Nagoya.
Answers: どこに住んでいますか = D ／ 名古屋に住んでいます = G ／ アパートに住んでいます = A ／ 一人で住んでいます = F ／ 家族と住んでいます = C ／ 部屋番号は301です = E ／ 駅から近いです = B
🚀 Mini Mission
Today’s mission: Introduce your home in Japanese.
Tell your teacher all of these things about where you live:
〇〇に住んでいます。／ アパート / マンション / 一戸建てに住んでいます。／ 一人で / 家族と住んでいます。／ 部屋番号は〇〇です。／ 駅から近いです / 遠いです。
📘 Review ／ まとめ
In this lesson you learned how to describe your home and living situation in natural Japanese.
〇〇に住んでいます。(I live in 〇〇.)
アパートに住んでいます。(I live in an apartment.)
一人で住んでいます。(I live alone.)
駅から近いです。(It’s near the station.)
アパートに住んでいます。(I live in an apartment.)
一人で住んでいます。(I live alone.)
駅から近いです。(It’s near the station.)
💡 The core pattern is 〇〇に住んでいます. Put any city, ward, or type of home before に and it works every time. For living companions, use 一人で (alone) or 〇〇と (with 〇〇).
FAQ
Q. How do I say “I live in a shared house”?
シェアハウスに住んでいます = “I live in a shared house.” You can add who you live with: シェアハウスに住んでいます。3人で住んでいます (“I live in a shared house with three people”).
Q. How do I say how many minutes it takes to walk to the station?
Use this pattern: 駅から歩いて〇分です (“It’s 〇 minutes on foot from the station”). For example: 駅から歩いて10分です = “10 minutes on foot from the station.” You can also say 自転車で5分です = “5 minutes by bicycle.”
Q. What does どんな家ですか mean, and how should I answer?
どんな家ですか = “What kind of home is it?” — a very natural follow-up question. Answer with adjectives: 新しいです (new), 古いです (old), 広いです (spacious), 狭いです (small), きれいです (clean/nice). You can combine them: 古いけど、広いです = “Old, but spacious.”
🏠 Practice with a real teacher
Want to Practice with a Teacher?
Talking about your home naturally is one of the first skills you will use every day in Japan. Try a free trial lesson with a professional teacher and practise until describing your home feels easy and natural.
Online or in-person — both available on request.