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.
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
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
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.
A new bakery opened up in front of the station.
That ramen shop always has a line.
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.
She's shy, so she's not good at speaking in front of people.
Our child is a scaredy-cat and hates dark places.
He's a shy person through and through.
家 (いえ) is the everyday word for 'house', while 屋 (や) in this sense is a less common, more literary or compound-only word for 'house/building'.
店 focuses on the physical establishment itself, while 屋 often highlights the trade or the person running it, as in 本屋 (bookstore).
屋 is a broad, everyday suffix for shops of any kind, while 処 lends a more specialized or traditional feel, often seen in restaurant names like 蕎麦処.
屋 is a casual, sometimes slightly mocking suffix for shopkeepers or personality traits (頑固屋), while 家 is neutral or respectful and used for serious professions or areas of expertise.
屋 written the same way is read や in everyday Japanese (for 'shop' or 'house'), while the おく reading is archaic and confined to classical or literary contexts.
room; chamber · apartment; flat; pad · sumo stable
roof
residence; estate; mansion
hut; cabin; shed; animal pen · small theatre; temporary playhouse; circus tent; booth · my humble home; one's own house
bookstore; bookshop · publisher · main building
dressing room; green room; backstage area · behind the scenes; inside affairs; the inside story
teahouse; rest stop · geisha teahouse; establishment with geisha entertainment · tea shop; tea dealer
butcher shop; butcher; meat shop
bar; pub; tavern; drinking establishment
Default kanji for the suffix senses (shop, seller, personality). Also used for 'roof'.
Used for the noun sense 'house'. It is the usual kanji for that sense.
The suffix 屋 (や) originally meant 'house' or 'roof', and by extension came to refer to a place of business or a person associated with that business. The kanji 屋 is used for commercial and occupational senses, while 家 is used for the dwelling sense.
flower shop; florist
wholesaler; wholesale store
liquor store; wine shop; bottle shop · sake dealer; liquor-store owner; brewer
barbershop; barber
pawnshop
inn; lodging house
secondhand bookshop; used bookstore
jail; prison
row house; tenement house
building for heavy machinery; machine house
barn; shed; outbuilding
greengrocer; fruit and vegetable shop · jack of all trades
purlin; roof beam · main building; main house · central room; main hall
trade name; store name; business name · stage name; professional name
locksmith; key shop
fish shop; fishmonger; fish dealer
main building; main house · central room; main room
cavern; grotto
tailor; dressmaker
small car dealership; auto repair shop selling cars · wheelwright; cartwright · rickshawman; rickshaw station
houseboat; roofed pleasure boat