Meaning
寮 means dormitory or lodging quarters — shared housing provided by a school, university, or company. It shows up most often in 学生寮 (university residence hall) and 社員寮 (corporate housing), so you'll encounter it quickly whether you're a student or a new hire in Japan.
The kanji has two parts. On top is 宀 — the roof radical (ukanmuri), marking a sheltered structure. Below sits 尞, a component historically tied to communal fire and gathering. Together they picture a covered space where people live side by side: exactly what a dormitory is.
In classical Chinese and early Japanese, 寮 could also mean a small government office or an official's personal quarters — housing tied to one's professional role. That history explains why the character occasionally carries the broader sense of "official lodging" in formal or literary texts. 寮 has 15 strokes, appears on the Jōyō (常用漢字) list, and is typically introduced at the secondary school level, in line with its N1 classification.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The sole on'yomi, リョウ (ryō), is the reading you'll use across every modern compound — student housing, corporate accommodation, dormitory management. There is no alternate on'yomi to learn.
- 学生寮 (gakusei-ryō) — student dormitory, university residence hall
- 社員寮 (shain-ryō) — company dormitory, employee housing
- 寮生 (ryō-sei) — dormitory resident, boarder
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
寮 has no standard kun'yomi in modern Japanese. Classical texts occasionally record つかさ (tsukasa), meaning an official post, but that reading is archaic and never appears in everyday speech or writing. リョウ covers everything you'll need.
Common Words & Compounds
寮 clusters around communal housing: the facility itself, the people living there, and the rules governing daily life. Here are the most useful compounds for N1 learners.
Types of Dormitory
- 学生寮 (gakusei-ryō) — student dormitory; university or school residential housing
- 社員寮 (shain-ryō) — company dormitory; housing provided by an employer
- 独身寮 (dokushin-ryō) — bachelor dormitory; single-occupant housing for unmarried employees
- 女子寮 (joshi-ryō) — women's dormitory
- 男子寮 (danshi-ryō) — men's dormitory
Dormitory Administration & Life
- 寮生 (ryō-sei) — dormitory resident, boarder
- 寮長 (ryō-chō) — dormitory director; head supervisor
- 寮母 (ryō-bo) — dormitory housemother; female caretaker or supervisor
- 寮費 (ryō-hi) — dormitory fee; monthly or annual boarding charge
- 寮則 (ryō-soku) — dormitory rules and regulations
Actions Related to Dormitory
- 入寮 (nyū-ryō) — moving into a dormitory
- 退寮 (tai-ryō) — moving out of a dormitory
- 寮暮らし (ryō-gurashi) — dormitory life; living in shared institutional housing
Example Sentences
私は大学の寮に住んでいます。
Watashi wa daigaku no ryō ni sunde imasu.
I live in the university dormitory.
彼は四月に社員寮に入寮した。
Kare wa shigatsu ni shain-ryō ni nyūryō shita.
He moved into the company dormitory in April.
寮費は毎月三万円です。
Ryō-hi wa maitsuki san-man-en desu.
The dormitory fee is 30,000 yen per month.
寮長は門限を厳しく守らせる。
Ryō-chō wa mongen wo kibishiku mamoraseru.
The dormitory director strictly enforces the curfew.
彼女は先月退寮してアパートを借りた。
Kanojo wa sengetsu tairyō shite apāto wo karita.
She left the dormitory last month and rented an apartment.
寮で同室だった友達と今でも仲がいい。
Ryō de dōshitsu datta tomodachi to ima demo naka ga ii.
I'm still good friends with my old dormitory roommate.
この会社は新入社員のために独身寮を提供している。
Kono kaisha wa shin'nyū shain no tame ni dokushin-ryō wo teikyō shite iru.
This company provides bachelor dormitories for new employees.
寮生活は不便なこともあるが、友達がたくさんできる。
Ryō seikatsu wa fuben na koto mo aru ga, tomodachi ga takusan dekiru.
Dormitory life has its inconveniences, but you'll make plenty of friends.
地方から上京した学生の多くは学生寮に入る。
Chihō kara jōkyō shita gakusei no ōku wa gakusei-ryō ni hairu.
Many students who move to Tokyo from the countryside end up in student dormitories.
新しい寮には食堂や洗濯室が完備されている。
Atarashii ryō ni wa shokudō ya sentaku-shitsu ga kanbi sarete iru.
The new dormitory has both a cafeteria and a laundry room.
Memory Tip
Two steps. For the shape: 宀 on top is a roof, and the dense strokes below are people packed underneath — a crowd sharing one shelter, which is exactly a dormitory. For the reading: picture yourself calling "Ryō!" as you knock on a dorm room door, voice echoing down a corridor of identical doors. Roof over a crowd — Ryō echoing down the hall.