JLPT N4 kanji. Readings, meaning, and how the character is built.
住 means to live, reside. It is a JLPT N4 kanji written in 7 strokes, read すむ or じゅう. It combines 亻 (person), which carries the meaning, with 主, which is there for its sound ちゅう. It appears in 住む (to reside / to live in) and 住所 (address).
住 is written in 7 strokes, in the order numbered below. Order matters: it is what makes handwriting legible, and it is how the character is looked up in a paper dictionary.
住 breaks into 2 parts.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 住む | すむ | to reside / to live in |
| 住所 | じゅうしょ | address |
| 衣食住 | いしょくじゅう | food clothing and shelter / necessities of life |
主 tends to carry the sound ちゅう. They carry it; they do not all mean the same thing.
| Reading | Meaning | |
|---|---|---|
| 主 | ちゅう | lord, chief |
| 住 | ちゅう | dwell, reside |
| 注 | ちゅう | pour, irrigate |
| 駐 | ちゅう | stop-over, reside in |
| 柱 | ちゅう | pillar, post |
These use 亻 or 主 too. The part keeps its job from one character to the next, which is what makes it worth learning once.
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