Translation guide
A boarding house is a place where people pay to live and receive meals, often in a shared house. In Japanese, the most common equivalent is 下宿 (geshuku), but other terms exist depending on the type and formality.
A private residence that rents out rooms and provides meals, often to students or single workers.
The most common and general term for a boarding house, especially one that provides meals. Often used for student accommodations.
彼は大学の近くの下宿に住んでいる。
He lives in a boarding house near the university.
Literally 'boarding house shop', a slightly more colloquial or specific term for a boarding house business.
あの下宿屋は食事が美味しいと評判だ。
That boarding house is known for its good food.
A more formal or institutional term, often used for dormitories or boarding facilities attached to schools or companies. Can also mean 'boarding house' in a broader sense.
その学校には寄宿舎が併設されている。
The school has an attached boarding house.
A low-cost accommodation that provides only a room, often with shared facilities, but no meals included.
Slang term for a cheap lodging house or flophouse, often used by day laborers. Does not include meals.
彼はドヤに泊まって仕事を探している。
He's staying in a cheap lodging house while looking for work.
A legal term for simple lodging facilities, often with minimal amenities and no meals. Used in official contexts.
A small, family-run guesthouse that provides breakfast and sometimes dinner, similar to a B&B or pension.
A loanword from English 'pension', used for Western-style family-run guesthouses, often in resort areas. Typically includes meals.
夏休みに高原のペンションに泊まった。
We stayed at a pension in the highlands during summer vacation.
A Japanese-style family-run inn, often in rural or coastal areas, providing meals. Closer to a minshuku than a Western boarding house, but can be translated as such.
下宿 (geshuku) typically includes meals and often has a more personal, family-like atmosphere, while アパート (apartment) is just a rental unit with no meals or shared living with the owner.
Directly translating 'boarding house' as ボーディングハウス is not common and may not be understood. Use the appropriate Japanese term based on context.
この地域には簡易宿所が多く集まっている。
There are many simple lodging houses in this area.
民宿では地元の新鮮な魚料理が出された。
At the boarding house, they served fresh local fish dishes.