屋
Meanings
Suffix attached to a noun indicating the type of goods or service. Very productive; e.g. パン屋 (bakery), 本屋 (bookstore). Usually written with 屋.
See also: パン屋
A new bakery opened in front of the station.
That ramen shop always has a line.
seller of; worker as
Suffix for a person who sells or deals in something, or works in a certain role. Can carry a derogatory nuance depending on context (e.g. 殺し屋 'hitman'). Usually written with 屋.
See also: 殺し屋
That person is a greengrocer, so they know a lot about vegetables.
He's a jack-of-all-trades; if you ask him, he'll do almost anything.
person with a trait
Suffix for a person characterized by a certain personality trait or tendency. Often attached to the stem of a verb or adjective. Usually written with 屋. Examples: 照れ屋 (shy person), 寂しがり屋 (lonely person).
See also: 照れ屋
She's shy, so she's not good at speaking in front of people.
Our child is a scaredy-cat and hates dark places.
Only when written 家
Noun meaning 'house' or 'building'. Usually written with 家 in this sense. Less common than 家 (いえ) in modern Japanese, but appears in compounds and older usage.
My house is in the old townscape.
Noun meaning 'roof'. Can be written with 屋 or 家, but 屋 is more common for this sense. Often used in compounds like 屋根 (やね).
The roof was blown off by the typhoon.
Usage patterns
- 〈物〉屋a shop that sells or deals in ~
A new bakery opened up in front of the station.
- 〈人〉は〈事〉屋だused to label someone as a type of worker or a person prone to a certain trait
He's a shy person through and through.
Expressions
- そうは問屋が卸さないthings don't always go as planned; it's not that easy; the wholesaler won't sell it like that
- 風が吹けば桶屋が儲かるany event can bring about an effect in an unexpected way; if the wind blows, the bucket makers prosper
- 庇を貸して母屋を取られるgive an inch and they take a mile; kindness repaid with ingratitude