The Meaning of ima [居間] In Japanese

居間
いま
Romaji: ima N5

What does 居間 mean?

Translation and Meaning

living room, lounge

Definition

What does 居間 mean? It refers to the main informal space inside a home where people gather to relax, talk, watch TV, and socialize. In everyday usage, 居間 denotes the central living area rather than a private bedroom or formal reception room.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Primary meaning: the main living space in a house where family members gather for everyday activities.
  • Nuance: conveys informal, comfortable space for daily life rather than a dedicated formal room.
  • Usage note: in modern Japanese, 居間 often overlaps with the loanword リビング, used in marketing and casual speech.

Etymology

Phonetic evolution: 居間 is a native compound read as ima by combining 居 (い) and 間 (ま), which yields a straightforward, everyday noun without relying on foreign phonology.

Composition

  • 居: to reside, stay
  • 間: space, interval, room
  • 居間: the space inside a home where people reside and gather

Usage

Used in everyday Japanese to denote the primary living space inside a home; appropriate for casual conversation and neutral writing; commonly paired with particles such as で, に, と, or を to describe actions and locations within 居間; typical contexts include family life, housing descriptions, and interior design references. 言い回し examples: 居間でテレビを見ます, 居間にソファがある, 居間を片付ける.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: remember 居間 as the space you stay in at home; the character 間 encloses a doorway, visually signaling a shared interior space between activities.

Variations

  • リビング (ribingu) — living room
  • 居室 (kyoshitsu) — a general term for a room inside a dwelling
  • 客間 (kyakuma) — guest room, more formal or rarely used as a synonym depending on house style

Example Phrases

  • 居間で 友達と お茶を 飲みながら 話した。
    Ima de tomodachi to ocha o nominagara hanashita.
    I talked with a friend in the living room while drinking tea.
    Lista:
    • 居間で (ima de) – in the living room
    • 友達と (tomodachi to) – with a friend
    • お茶を (ocha o) – tea
    • 飲みながら (nominagara) – while drinking
    • 話した (hanashita) – talked
    Use 「居間で」 to mark the location; 「飲みながら」 expresses doing something at the same time, i.e., ‘while drinking’.
居間