Translation guide
A person who pays to live and have meals in someone else's house, or a student who lives at a boarding school. Japanese distinguishes between a paying guest in a private home and a student in a dormitory.
A person who rents a room and receives meals in a family's house.
Standard term for a boarder who lives in a private home and usually takes meals there. Implies a more personal, family-style arrangement.
彼女は下宿人を探している。
She is looking for a boarder.
うちには二人の下宿人がいる。
We have two boarders in our house.
Specifies a boarder with meals included, emphasizing the meal arrangement.
食事付きの下宿人を募集しています。
We are looking for a boarder (meals included).
A person who lives in someone's home without paying, often doing chores in exchange. Not a paying boarder, but sometimes used loosely. Can carry a negative nuance of freeloading.
Implies not paying rent; use carefully as it can sound derogatory.
彼は友人の家に居候している。
He is staying at his friend's place as a freeloader.
A pupil who resides at the school during term time.
Formal term for a boarding student. Used in school contexts.
この学校には多くの寄宿生がいる。
This school has many boarders.
Student living in a dormitory. More common than 寄宿生, but can refer to any dormitory resident, not necessarily at a boarding school.
Loanword from English, used in some international school contexts. Not widely understood.
Someone who rides a board for sport or transport.
Japanese does not use 'boarder' as a general term. Instead, specify the type of board: スノーボーダー (snowboarder), スケートボーダー (skateboarder), etc.
彼はスノーボーダーだ。
He is a snowboarder.
スケートボードに乗る人が増えている。
The number of skateboarders is increasing.
The English word 'boarder' for snowboarding/skateboarding is not used in Japanese. Always use the specific loanword like スノーボーダー or describe the activity.
下宿人 (geshukunin) is a paying boarder, while 居候 (isōrō) is a non-paying guest who may help with chores. The latter can imply freeloading, so use with caution.
寮生は規則を守らなければならない。
Boarders must follow the rules.
彼はボーダーとしてその学校に通っている。
He attends that school as a boarder.