Meaning

Primary

Standalone House

Alternative

Single-Family Home

Word Type

noun

Explanation

A one house counter house is a standalone house. It's not inside of or attached to anything else — it's a single-family home, probably with its own yard and driveway and stuff.

一軒家 is an everyday word that refers to a standalone house, as opposed to an apartment or condo. You'll hear it in real estate, casual conversations about housing, or when describing someone's living situation.

Reading

いっけんや
  • Miyuki
    (Tokyo accent, female)
  • Kenichi
    (Tokyo accent, male)

Explanation

This word is a jukugo word, but it uses a mix of on'yomi and kun'yomi readings. 一 and 軒 use the on'yomi you learned with the kanji, so you should be fine there — just watch out for the いち changing to いっ. 家 uses its kun'yomi や reading, which you've seen with words like 空き家 and 家賃. Here's a mnemonic in case you need help with that one:

Ask most people if they want to live in a standalone house, and they'll say "yah (や)." No screaming babies next door, no late-night drum solos from the neighbors — yah, it's kind of a no-brainer.

Context

Common Word Combinations

  • 一軒家に住んでいる

    living in a standalone house

    一軒家に引っ越す

    to move into a standalone house

    一軒家に暮らしている

    living in a standalone house

Context Sentences

えっ、一人で一軒家に住んでいるんですか?

Oh, you live in a single-family home by yourself?

一軒家って掃除が大変そうなイメージがあります。

I've always had the impression that cleaning would be a big chore in a standalone house.

今はマンション暮らしだけど、将来は一軒家を買いたいんですよね。

Right now I live in an apartment, but someday I'd like to buy a house.

あの一軒家、なんか不気味じゃない?夜になると、変な物音が聞こえる気がするし。

That house is kind of creepy, isn't it? At night, I feel like I can hear weird noises coming from it.

Kanji Composition