What is the Kanji for "Shop" and "Roof"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "Shop" and "Roof", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "Shop" and "Roof" is "屋".

This kanji has 2 readings:

Its kunyomi reading is "Ya".

Its onyomi reading is "Oku".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The radical "尸" means "Corpse" . And The kanji "至" means "Arrive" and "Climax" and can be read as "Shi" and "Ita".

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "屋" mean in japanese?

"屋" means "Shop" and "Roof".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Third Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

部屋: "Room". The Japanese noun '部屋 (へや)' means 'room'. This word refers to an enclosed space within a building, typically separated by walls and a door. It can be used to describe a variety of rooms, such as a bedroom, living room, or bathroom. For example: My room is small - (私の部屋は小さい). There are three rooms in the house - (その家には3つの部屋があります).

屋: "Shop". The Japanese suffix '屋 (や)' is added to a word to indicate a shop, store, or establishment that specializes in selling or producing that item. For example: 花屋 (はなや) - flower shop, 本屋 (ほんや) - bookstore, 寿司屋 (すしや) - sushi restaurant.

本屋: "Bookstore". The Japanese noun '本屋 (ほんや)' refers to a bookstore, a retail establishment that sells books, magazines, and other printed materials. Bookstores are an important part of Japanese culture and can range from large chain stores to small, independent shops. They are popular destinations for reading, browsing, and purchasing books. For example: I went to the bookstore to buy a new novel - (新しい小説を買うために本屋に行きました).

八百屋: "Greengrocer". The Japanese noun '八百屋 (やおや)' refers to a greengrocer or a store that specializes in selling fresh fruits and vegetables. Greengrocers are an important part of traditional Japanese retail and are often small, local businesses that source their produce directly from farmers. For example: The greengrocer has fresh vegetables today - (八百屋に今日新鮮な野菜があります).

そば屋: "Noodle shop". The noun 'そば屋 (そばや)' refers to a Japanese noodle restaurant or shop that specializes in serving soba, or buckwheat noodles. These establishments are known for their focus on traditional soba preparation techniques and often feature a variety of soba dishes on their menu, such as hot or cold soba. Some soba shops may also offer other Japanese cuisine like tempura or curry. 'そば屋' is an important part of Japanese food culture and local communities. Example: I ate at a great soba shop for lunch - (お昼ご飯にそば屋でおいしいそばを食べました).

たばこ屋: "Tobacco shop". The noun 'たばこ屋 (たばこや)' refers to a tobacco shop or a store that specializes in selling tobacco products such as cigarettes, cigars, and pipe tobacco. These establishments are commonly found in Japan and are an important part of the country's retail landscape. For example: I bought my cigarettes at the tobacco shop - (たばこ屋でタバコを買った). The tobacco shop is located on Main Street - (たばこ屋は本通りにある).

郵便屋さん: "Mailman". The Japanese noun '郵便屋さん (ゆうびんやさん)' refers to a mailman or postal worker. This person is responsible for delivering mail and packages to homes and businesses. They are an important part of the postal service infrastructure. For example: The mailman came early today - (郵便屋さんが今日は早く来た). I saw the mailman walking down the street - (私は郵便屋さんが道を歩いているのを見た).

不動産屋: "Real estate agent". The Japanese noun '不動産屋 (ふどうさんや)' refers to a real estate agent or realtor. These are professionals who assist with the buying, selling, and renting of properties such as houses, apartments, and commercial buildings. They help clients find suitable properties, negotiate deals, and handle the paperwork involved in real estate transactions. For example: The real estate agent showed us several properties today - (不動産屋は今日、私たちに複数の物件を紹介してくれました).

屋敷: "Estate". The Japanese noun '屋敷 (やしき)' refers to a large, traditional style house or mansion, often set within an expansive private property or grounds. It typically denotes the residence of a wealthy or high-ranking individual. For example: The lord's estate was located on a hill - (当主の屋敷は丘の上にあった). They live in a spacious estate - (彼らは広い屋敷に住んでいる)

床屋: "Barber". The Japanese noun '床屋 (とこや)' refers to a barber or a place where one can get a haircut. This word is commonly used to describe a traditional Japanese barbershop or haircutting establishment. Bed('床') refers to the traditional chair or platform where customers sit to get their hair cut. For example: I need to go to the barber - (床屋に行かなければなりません). The barber trimmed my hair - (床屋が私の髪を切りました).

風呂屋: "Bathhouse". The noun '風呂屋 (ふろや)' means 'bathhouse'. It refers to a public bath or spa establishment where people can go to bathe and relax. Bathhouses are a common feature of Japanese culture, providing a place for communal bathing and socializing. They often have large communal bathing areas as well as individual private baths. For example: I went to the local bathhouse - (私は近所の風呂屋に行きました).

小屋: "Hut". The noun '小屋 (こや)' refers to a small, simple dwelling or shelter, often made of basic materials like wood or straw. It is typically used to describe a rustic, humble living space, such as a cabin, shack, or cottage. For example: They live in a small hut in the countryside - (彼らは田舎に小さな小屋に住んでいます).

家屋: "Building". The Japanese noun '家屋 (かおく)' means 'building'. This word refers to a physical structure constructed for human habitation or use. It can be used to describe a wide variety of buildings, from small houses to large commercial structures. For example: The building is very tall - (その家屋は非常に高い).

屋上: "Roof". The Japanese noun '屋上 (おくじょう)' means 'roof'. It refers to the uppermost part of a building, typically a flat or slightly sloped surface, that covers and protects the structure. '屋上' is often used to describe the outdoor area on top of a building that may be accessible, such as a terrace or garden. For example: We had a great view from the roof - (屋上から素晴らしい景色が見えました).

屋根: "Roof". The Japanese noun '屋根 (やね)' means 'roof'. This word refers to the structure that covers the top of a building, providing protection from the elements such as sun, rain, and snow. Roofs can be made of various materials like tiles, shingles, or metal. They are an essential part of a building's design and construction. For example: The house has a tile roof - (その家は瓦の屋根だ). The roof is leaking - (屋根が漏れている).

酒屋: "Liquor store". The Japanese noun '酒屋 (さかや)' refers to a liquor store or a shop that specializes in the sale of alcoholic beverages such as sake, beer, wine, and other liquors. These types of stores are common in Japan and are an important part of the country's drinking culture. For example: I bought sake at the local liquor store - (地元の酒屋で日本酒を買いました).

問屋: "Wholesaler". The Japanese noun '問屋 (とんや)' refers to a wholesaler, which is a business that sells goods in bulk to retailers, other wholesalers, or industrial, institutional, and commercial users, rather than directly to the general public. Wholesalers typically have large warehouses and deal in large volumes of goods. For example: The large department store buys all their merchandise from a wholesaler - (その大きな百貨店は、すべての商品を問屋から仕入れています).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "や" is read as "ya". The hiragana "お" is read as "o". And The hiragana "く" is read as "ku".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.