Translation guide
A place to live for a short period, such as a shelter, a temporary home, or a makeshift residence. Japanese offers different words depending on the reason for temporariness, the type of structure, and the level of formality.
A basic, often improvised place to stay temporarily, such as a shack, hut, or emergency shelter.
General term for a temporary residence. Neutral and widely used for any short-term living situation.
We are living in a temporary dwelling until the new house is finished.
A temporary hut or shack, often built for a specific purpose like a construction site office or emergency shelter. Slightly more physical/structure-focused than 仮住まい.
After the earthquake, the victims lived in temporary huts.
Loanword from English 'barrack'. Refers to a rough, hastily built shack or barracks, often with a negative connotation of poor quality. Used in contexts like slums or post-disaster temporary housing.
They live in a house like a shack.
A place provided for people displaced by disasters, such as an evacuation center or temporary housing unit.
Evacuation shelter, typically a public facility like a school gymnasium used during disasters. Not a private dwelling but a communal shelter.
Many people evacuated to shelters because of the typhoon.
Official term for emergency temporary housing, often used in legal or administrative contexts. Abbreviated as 応急仮設.
A place rented for a short stay, such as a weekly apartment or a temporary corporate housing.
Short-term rental. Often used for apartments rented on a monthly basis. Can be combined with マンション or アパート.
I'm looking for a short-term rental apartment.
Monthly mansion: similar to a weekly mansion but rented by the month. Often cheaper per day than a weekly.
A place to live while waiting for permanent housing, such as during a move or renovation.
Already introduced, but this is the most natural choice for this meaning as well. Emphasizes the transitional nature.
During the move, I rented a temporary place for just one month.
Literally 'temporary dwelling'. A more descriptive phrase, slightly formal. Good for explaining the concept.
仮住まい is a general term for any temporary living situation. 仮設住宅 specifically refers to government-provided temporary housing after disasters. 避難所 is an evacuation shelter, usually a shared public space, not a private dwelling.
The English phrase 'temporary house' rendered in katakana (テンポラリーハウス) is not commonly used in Japanese. Use 仮住まい or 仮設住宅 instead.
They found a temporary dwelling after the flood.
The company provides temporary dwellings for its employees.
Temporary housing built after disasters, often prefabricated units. More permanent than a shelter but still temporary. Commonly used in post-disaster contexts.
Temporary housing was provided to the disaster victims.
The municipality rushed to build emergency temporary housing.
Weekly mansion: a furnished apartment rented by the week. Common for business travelers or people in transition.
During the business trip, I stayed in a weekly apartment.
Monthly apartments are convenient because they come furnished.
It's a temporary dwelling now, but we'll move to our new home next month.