How do you use 持ち家 in a sentence?

It functions as an adjective, so you often see it directly before a noun. For example: これは彼の持ち家です。 (Kore wa kare no mochiie desu.) - This is his owned house . 私たちは持ち家に住んでいます。 (Watashitachi wa mochiie ni sunde imasu.) - We live in an owner-occupied house .

When would I use 持ち家の as opposed to just 持ち家?

持ち家 is a noun, but it very often functions like an adjective. When you add the particle の (no), it explicitly marks 持ち家 as modifying the following noun, making it clear it's describing 'of an owned house' or 'owner-occupied.' For example: 持ち家ローン ( mochiie roon) - owner-occupied home loan (loan for an owned house) 持ち家の利点 ( mochiie no riten) - benefits of an owner-occupied house You'll see both, but the の often makes the grammatical relationship clearer, especially in slightly more formal contexts.

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B1 adjective #5,000 le plus courant 3 min de lecture

持ち家の

Q: What's the difference between 持ち家 and 家?

持ち家 (mochiie) specifically refers to a house that is owned by someone, meaning they are the homeowner. 家 (ie) is a more general term for 'house' or 'home' and doesn't specify ownership. You could live in an 家 that you rent, but you live in a 持ち家 that you own.

Q: What's the opposite of 持ち家?

The most direct opposite when talking about housing is 賃貸 (chintai) , which means 'rental property' or 'rented.' So, you'd have 持ち家 (owned house) vs. 賃貸 (rental property).

mochi'ie no Top 5,000

Entraîne-toi Notes et astuces

§ Understanding 持ち家の (mochie no)

When you're talking about an "owned house" or something that's "owner-occupied," the Japanese word you'll often encounter is 持ち家の (mochie no). This isn't too complicated, but there are a few common pitfalls to avoid. Let's break them down so you can use this word correctly and sound natural.

§ Mistake 1: Confusing it with simply "house"

The biggest mistake learners make is using 持ち家の (mochie no) when they just mean "house" or "my house." While 持ち家の (mochie no) does refer to a house, it specifically emphasizes ownership. If you simply want to talk about a house without highlighting the ownership aspect, there are other, more common words.

Wrong

私の持ち家のは大きいです。(Watashi no mochie no wa ookii desu.)

This sounds unnatural. You wouldn't say "My owner-occupied property is big." You'd just say "My house is big."

Correct

私の家は大きいです。(Watashi no ie wa ookii desu.)

これは持ち家の人向けのローンです。
(Kore wa mochie no hito muke no roon desu.)
This is a loan for homeowners.

Here, 持ち家の (mochie no) works well because it's modifying "people" to specify "people who own a house."

§ Mistake 2: Using it as a standalone noun

持ち家の (mochie no) is an adjectival phrase. It needs to modify a noun. You can't just drop it into a sentence by itself and expect it to make sense.

Wrong

彼は持ち家のです。(Kare wa mochie no desu.)

This translates awkwardly to "He is owner-occupied." What is owner-occupied? The sentence is incomplete.

Correct

彼は持ち家に住んでいます。(Kare wa mochie ni sundeimasu.)

This means "He lives in an owned house." Here, 持ち家 (mochie) is the noun "owned house" and it's used correctly.

§ Mistake 3: Overusing it

Because 持ち家の (mochie no) carries a specific nuance of ownership, it's not always necessary. Sometimes, context alone is enough, or a simpler word will do.

賃貸アパートと持ち家どちらがいいですか？
(Chintai apaato to mochie dochira ga ii desu ka?)
Which is better, a rental apartment or an owned home?

In this case, 持ち家 (mochie) is used as a noun, representing the concept of an "owned home" in contrast to a "rental apartment." The の (no) particle isn't needed here because 持ち家 (mochie) itself is the noun.

§ Key Takeaways

To avoid these mistakes, keep these points in mind:

持ち家の (mochie no) specifically highlights ownership.
It functions as an adjectival phrase and needs to modify a noun (e.g., 持ち家の家 (mochie no ie - owned house), 持ち家の人 (mochie no hito - homeowner)).
If you just mean "house," use 家 (ie) or 住宅 (juutaku).
Sometimes, 持ち家 (mochie) can be used as a noun itself, meaning "an owned house" or "homeownership."

持ち家のメリットとデメリットは何ですか？
(Mochie no meritto to demeritto wa nan desu ka?)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a home?

In this sentence, 持ち家の (mochie no) modifies "merits and demerits," implying the advantages and disadvantages *of owning a home*. It's perfectly natural here.

Niveau de difficulté

Lecture 1/5

Kanji are common and relatively easy to read: 持 (mochi - to hold) and 家 (ie - house).

Écriture 1/5

Kanji are common and relatively easy to write.

Expression orale 1/5

Pronunciation is straightforward.

Écoute 1/5

Clear pronunciation.

Quoi apprendre ensuite

Prérequis

家 (ie - house) 持つ (motsu - to hold/have) 人 (hito - person) 減る (heru - to decrease) ローン (rōn - loan) 払う (harau - to pay) 財産 (zaisan - property/asset)

Apprends ensuite

賃貸 (chintai - rental) 不動産 (fudōsan - real estate) 購入 (kōnyū - purchase)

Avancé

分譲マンション (bunjō manshon - condominium for sale) 戸建て (kodate - detached house) 住宅ローン (jūtaku rōn - housing loan)

Questions fréquentes

10 questions

持ち家 (mochiie) specifically refers to a house that is owned by someone, meaning they are the homeowner. 家 (ie) is a more general term for 'house' or 'home' and doesn't specify ownership. You could live in an 家 that you rent, but you live in a 持ち家 that you own.

Yes, you can. While 持ち家 literally means 'owned house,' it's commonly used to refer to any owner-occupied property, including apartments or condominiums. The key is that it's owned, not rented.

It functions as an adjective, so you often see it directly before a noun. For example:

これは彼の持ち家です。 (Kore wa kare no mochiie desu.) - This is his owned house.
私たちは持ち家に住んでいます。 (Watashitachi wa mochiie ni sunde imasu.) - We live in an owner-occupied house.

Yes, it's quite common, especially when discussing housing, real estate, or personal finances. You'll hear it frequently in news, discussions about housing markets, and general conversation about where people live.

The most direct opposite when talking about housing is 賃貸 (chintai), which means 'rental property' or 'rented.' So, you'd have 持ち家 (owned house) vs. 賃貸 (rental property).

It can be either! As mentioned before, the key is ownership. So, a single-family home that you own is a 持ち家, and an apartment that you own (like a condominium) is also a 持ち家. The term focuses on the ownership status rather than the specific type of dwelling.

持ち家 itself is a noun that acts adjectivally (like 'owner-occupied'). If you want to talk about 'owning a house' as a verb, you would typically use phrases like 家を所有する (ie o shoyu suru) meaning 'to own a house,' or 家を買う (ie o kau) meaning 'to buy a house.'

持ち家 is a noun, but it very often functions like an adjective. When you add the particle の (no), it explicitly marks 持ち家 as modifying the following noun, making it clear it's describing 'of an owned house' or 'owner-occupied.' For example:

持ち家ローン (mochiie roon) - owner-occupied home loan (loan for an owned house)
持ち家の利点 (mochiie no riten) - benefits of an owner-occupied house

You'll see both, but the の often makes the grammatical relationship clearer, especially in slightly more formal contexts.

The main nuance is its strong connection to the concept of 'homeownership.' It often carries connotations of stability, investment, and sometimes, a certain social status in Japan. It's not just 'a house,' but 'my house' or 'our house' that we own.

Not really in common usage. 持ち家 is quite a practical and literal term related to property ownership. It doesn't have much metaphorical flexibility. If you want to talk about 'owning' something abstract, you'd use different vocabulary.