居 means “be, stay, live”

いる · iru

Also: reside, to be, exist, live with

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

いる, おる

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

キョ, コ

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 5 · 8 strokes

The story

A body (尸) settled in one spot so long it grows old (古): picture a regular who never leaves. 居 is being somewhere: 居間 is the living room, 居酒屋 is a pub where you stay to drink, and 居眠り is dozing off on the train.

Used in 居間 (ima, living room), 居酒屋 (izakaya, Japanese pub), and 居眠り (inemuri, dozing off)

More from Days at Home

• 絵 picture
• 遊 play
• 畑 field
• 泳 swim
• 煙 smoke
• 靴 shoes
• 番 turn
• 宅 home
• 景 scenery
• 候 climate
• 舞 dance

Learn 居 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.