隅 (すみ, sumi) Japanese meaning: corner

隅 (すみ, sumi) Japanese meaning: corner | Kotomora

Kanji

隅corner, nook
角angle, corner, square

Related words· 6

角かどN5sense 1
角 refers to an outside corner or street corner, while 隅 refers to an inside corner or nook of a room or space.
コーナーN3sense 1
コーナー is a loanword used for corners in modern contexts like streets or shop sections, while 隅 carries a more traditional, secluded nuance.
一いっ角かく
隅 refers to an inside nook or corner of a room, while 一角 more broadly means any distinct section or part of a place.
一いち隅ぐう
隅 is the common, everyday word for a corner or nook, while 一隅 is a more literary term often implying a single, easily overlooked corner.

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片かた隅すみ
隅 is the plain, general word for a corner or inside corner, while 片隅 adds a nuance of smallness, seclusion, or being overlooked.
端はしN2
隅 means a corner where two sides meet, whereas 端 can be any end or edge, not necessarily a corner.

Opposites

中ちゅう央おうN3sense 1
中央 means the center of a space, the direct opposite of 隅, which means a corner or edge.

Don't confuse with

角かどN5
角 is an outside corner or edge (like the corner of a table), while 隅 is an inside corner or nook (like the corner of a room).
隅すみ々ずみ
隅 refers to a single corner or nook, whereas 隅々 is the reduplicated form meaning every corner without exception.

Counted with

箇か所しょN2
place; point; part; spot; area; passage; portion · counter for places, parts, passages, etc.

Word family· 18

片かた隅すみ
corner; nook; remote corner
隅すみっこ
corner; nook; recess
四よ隅すみ
four corners · four ordinal directions
入いり隅すみ
internal corner; inside corner

Written forms

隅Usage97%
- すみ
  Standard kanji for 'corner' or 'nook'. High priority.
- すま
角すみUsage2%
Rare kanji used specifically for the noh stage term. Not used for the general 'corner' sense.

Etymology

The kanji 隅 is a phono-semantic compound with 阝 (hill) and 禺 (meeting), originally meaning a corner where two walls meet. The reading すみ is native Japanese. The rare reading すま is archaic.

隅すみ

Meanings

Usage patterns

Expressions· 7