dilapidated house; hovel; shack
Refers to a run-down, crumbling house; often used literally but can be self-deprecating.
my humble home; my place
Humble expression used to refer to one's own house; often self-deprecating, implying it's a modest or shabby dwelling.
Please come in, though it's just my humble home.
small open-sided shelter
Archaic term for a simple resting place with a roof and pillars but no walls; not used in modern Japanese.
The old dilapidated house collapsed in the typhoon.
He bought a run-down house cheaply and repaired it himself.
It is said that travelers of old took shelter from the rain in small open-sided shelters in the fields.
あばら家 describes a shabby, run-down house, the opposite extreme from a splendid 豪邸.
Standard kanji spelling using 屋 for 'house'.
Variant using 家; less common but still seen.
Rare kanji spelling; may be confused with other readings.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji are not needed.
Derived from あばら (荒ら, rough/dilapidated) + 屋 (house). The exact historical origin of あばら is uncertain, but it is related to the adjective 荒い (rough).