棲すむ

す

む

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

棲む · godan verb (-mu)

Meanings

godan verb (-mu), intransitive verb

Used for animals, birds, fish, insects, etc. living or dwelling in a place. Not used for people; for humans use 住む.

〈場ば所しょ〉に棲すむto inhabit/live in a place (of an animal)
このジャングルには珍めずらしい鳥とりが棲すんでいる。
A rare bird lives in this jungle.

生せい息そく
生息する is the formal, scientific term for animals inhabiting a habitat, while 棲む is the more literary or descriptive verb for animals living somewhere.

住すむN5
住む and 棲む are both pronounced すむ, but 住む is used for people living somewhere while 棲む is reserved for animals inhabiting a place.

棲すみ分わけ
habitat isolation; niche partitioning · compartmentalization; segregation; isolation

棲すむ
Standard kanji for animals living or inhabiting a place. Distinct from 住む (used for people).
栖すむ
rarely-used kanji form
Rarely used kanji form.

The kanji 棲 is composed of 木 (tree) and 妻 (wife), suggesting a place where creatures settle. The reading すむ is native Japanese, shared with 住む.