How do you say "(I) live (in...)." in Japanese?

"(I) live (in...)." in Japanese is "すんでいます". This phrase is commonly used in Japan.

What does "すんでいます" mean in English?

"すんでいます" means "(I) live (in...)." in English. Usage tip: If you want extra politeness, you can say [住んでおります]. Casual: [住んでる].

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How to Say ‘(I) live (in...).’ in Japanese

すんでいます

💬 Usage Tip: If you want extra politeness, you can say [住んでおります]. Casual: [住んでる].

🇯🇵 In Japan: In self-intros, it’s common to say both: [〜出身で、今は〜に住んでいます]. It gives people two easy conversation hooks.

Word-by-Word Breakdown

すす

[su]

to live; to reside (part)

す is the start of すむ (to live). In すんでいます it helps form the polite ‘live (currently)’ expression.

Example

とうきょうにすんでいます。

I live in Tokyo.

んん

[n]

‘n’ sound (part of すんでいます)

ん is the nasal sound in すんで. It comes from the verb すむ changing into すんで in the -te form.

Example

とうきょうにすんでいます。

I live in Tokyo.

でで

[de]

-te form connector (part of すんでいます)

で is part of the -te form (すんで). It connects to います to show a continuing state.

Example

とうきょうにすんでいます。

I live in Tokyo.

いい

[i]

to be (part of います)

い is the start of います. 〜ている/〜ています expresses an ongoing or current situation.

Example

とうきょうにすんでいます。

I live in Tokyo.

ますます

[masu]

polite verb ending (part of います)

ます adds politeness. The full すんでいます is a polite way to say where you live.

Example

とうきょうにすんでいます。

I live in Tokyo.

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