Meaning
The kanji 宅 (taku) means 'home,' 'house,' or 'residence.' It refers to a dwelling or any place where someone lives. When used in a humble or polite context, it can also imply 'one's own house' or 'my house.' This kanji is a phono-semantic compound. Such compounds combine a semantic component, hinting at the meaning, with a phonetic component that suggests its pronunciation.
The kanji's visual form clearly illustrates its meaning. The upper radical, 宀 (u-kanmuri), depicts a 'roof,' immediately suggesting a building or shelter. Below this roof lies the component 乇, which functions as the phonetic element. Historically, 乇 symbolized a sprout or something taking root, conveying ideas of 'settling' or 'entrusting.' Together, 宅 visually combines the concept of a 'roof' (宀) under which one 'settles' (乇). This combination forms the meaning of a permanent 'home' or 'residence.' The kanji has 6 strokes and is taught in the 6th grade of elementary school in Japan, placing it at an N3 level on the JLPT.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
The primary on'yomi reading for 宅 is タク (taku). This reading comes from its original Chinese pronunciation and is the most common one you'll encounter. You'll find it in most compound words featuring 宅.
- 自宅 (jitaku) — one's own home; my home. This common term refers to one's private residence. For example, 「自宅に帰る」 (jitaku ni kaeru) means 'to return to one's own home.'
- 住宅 (jūtaku) — residence; housing. This term broadly refers to houses or dwellings. You'll often see it in discussions about real estate or urban planning. For instance, 「新しい住宅街」 (atarashii jūtaku gai) translates to 'a new residential area.'
- 宅配 (takuhai) — home delivery. This refers to services that deliver goods directly to your home, such as packages or food. A common example is 「宅配便」 (takuhai-bin), which specifically denotes a courier service.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
Unlike many kanji, 宅 doesn't have a commonly used native Japanese kun'yomi reading. While some obscure or name-specific readings (nanori) do exist, in everyday Japanese, you'll almost exclusively encounter 宅 with its on'yomi, タク (taku).
Therefore, when learning this kanji, focus on mastering its on'yomi and the various compound words it forms. This is how you'll predominantly encounter and use 宅 in Japanese. There are no common hiragana readings to learn for this kanji.
Common Words & Compounds
The kanji 宅 appears in many compounds, mainly relating to homes, services, and polite address.
- General Residence:
- 自宅 (jitaku) — one's own home; my home
- 住宅 (jūtaku) — residence; housing
- 社宅 (shataku) — company housing; company-provided residence
- 官宅 (kantaku) — official residence
- Actions/Services Related to Home:
- 帰宅 (kitaku) — returning home
- 宅急便 (takkyūbin) — express home delivery (a registered trademark, but widely used for parcel delivery)
- 宅配便 (takuhai-bin) — home delivery service
- 在宅 (zaitaku) — being at home; working from home (e.g., 在宅勤務)
- Polite/Respectful Usage:
- お宅 (otaku) — your house; your family (polite) / also refers to an enthusiast or obsessive fan (origin of the subculture term)
- 貴宅 (kitaku) — your house (more formal, respectful)
- 令宅 (reitaku) — your honourable house (highly formal and polite)
Example Sentences
私の自宅は駅からとても近いです。
Watashi no jitaku wa eki kara totemo chikai desu.
My home is very close to the station.
毎日、仕事の後に帰宅します。
Mainichi, shigoto no ato ni kitaku shimasu.
Every day, I return home after work.
この地域には新しい住宅がたくさん建てられています。
Kono chiiki ni wa atarashii jūtaku ga takusan taterarete imasu.
Many new residences are being built in this area.
友達が私の宅に遊びに来ました。
Tomodachi ga watashi no taku ni asobi ni kimashita.
My friend came to my house to hang out.
彼女は在宅勤務で働いています。
Kanojo wa zaitaku kinmu de hataraite imasu.
She is working from home (telecommuting).
最近は宅配サービスを利用することが増えました。
Saikin wa takuhai sābisu o riyō suru koto ga fuemashita.
Recently, I've been using home delivery services more often.
彼は部長のお宅まで書類を届けました。
Kare wa buchō no otaku made shorui o todokemashita.
He delivered the documents to the department manager's house.
週末はたいてい自宅でゆっくり過します。
Shūmatsu wa taitei jitaku de yukkuri sugoshimasu.
I usually spend my weekends relaxing at home.
将来、自分の理想の住宅を建てたいです。
Shōrai, jibun no risō no jūtaku o tatetai desu.
In the future, I want to build my ideal home.
Memory Tip
To remember the kanji 宅 (taku), envision it as a 'house' or 'home' under a 'roof.' The top part, 宀, is the 'roof' radical, immediately bringing to mind a building. Below the roof, you can imagine a 'person' (stylized, similar to the radical 亻) who has comfortably 'settled' into their new home. Alternatively, visualize a 'sprout' (乇) firmly settling its roots under the 'roof' of a cozy dwelling. Both images — of someone or something finding a permanent, protective resting place — strongly connect to the meaning of 'residence' or 'home.' The phonetic component 乇 also offers a hint to the 'taku' reading, though this isn't immediately obvious to English speakers.