Japanese symbol for “inhabit”
住む
すむ
Romaji: sumu
to live (of humans); to reside; to inhabit; to dwell
In Japanese, inhabit is 住む, read すむ (sumu).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- v5m, vi to live (of humans); to reside; to inhabit; to dwell; to abide
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “inhabit”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 住まう | すまう sumau | to live; to reside; to inhabit |
| 棲む | すむ sumu | to live (of animals); to inhabit; to nest |
| 住する | じゅうする juusuru | to live; to reside; to inhabit |
| 住す | じゅうす juusu | to live; to reside; to inhabit |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 住民 | じゅうみん juumin | inhabitant; resident; citizen |
| 住宅 | じゅうたく juutaku | residence; housing; residential building |
| 住所 | じゅうしょ juusho | address (of a home, business, etc.); residence; domicile |
| 移住 | いじゅう ijuu | migration; move; emigration |
| 居住 | きょじゅう kyojuu | residence; living (at, in); abode |
| 住居 | じゅうきょ juukyo | dwelling; house; residence |
See also: Chinese symbol for “inhabit”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.