住 means “dwell, reside”

すむ · sumu

Also: live, inhabit

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

すむ, すまう

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ジュウ, ヂュウ, チュウ

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 3 · 7 strokes

The story

A person (亻) beside the master's lamp (主): to dwell is to keep a flame burning in one place. 住めば都, says the proverb: live anywhere long enough and it becomes your capital.

Used in 住む (sumu, to live/reside), 住所 (juusho, address), and 住民 (juumin, resident)

More from Town & Country

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• 館 hall
• 林 grove
• 洋 ocean
• 京 capital
• 田 rice field
• 県 prefecture
• 台 stand

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