How to Say ‘Where do you live now?’ in Japanese
いま、どこにすんでいますか。
いま、どこにすんでいますか。
💬 Usage Tip: Full polite question. [いま] clarifies “currently,” so it contrasts nicely with [しゅっしん] (origin).
🇯🇵 In Japan: A common small-talk flow: [しゅっしん] → [いま] where you live → “How do you like it?” style questions.
Phrase Breakdown
いまいま
now; currently
Time word meaning “now/currently.” Often used to ask about present situation.
いま忙しいです。
I'm busy right now.
どこにどこに
where (to/in)
どこ (where) + に (location/direction particle). With 住む it indicates where someone lives.
どこに行きますか。
Where are you going?
すんでいますかすんでいますか
do you live (there)?; are you living (there)?
住んでいます is the polite -te iru form meaning “(you) live/are living,” + か to make it a question.
日本にすんでいますか。
Do you live in Japan?
Word-by-Word Breakdown
いまいま
[ima]
now
Used to ask about the current situation (not your hometown). Often paired with すんでいます: “Where do you live now?”
いま、どこにすんでいますか。
Where do you live now?
どこどこ
[doko]
where
どこ asks for a place. In this sentence it asks your current place of residence.
いま、どこにすんでいますか。
Where do you live now?
にに
[ni]
to / in / at (location particle)
に marks the location for living with すむ: どこにすんでいますか = “In where do you live?”
いま、どこにすんでいますか。
Where do you live now?
すんすん
[sun]
(part of) live / reside (from すむ)
すん is part of すんでいます (live/reside). This comes from すむ → すんで.
いま、どこにすんでいますか。
Where do you live now?
でで
[de]
(te-form connector)
で connects to います to form 〜ています, expressing a current state: living somewhere.
いま、とうきょうにすんでいます。
Now, I live in Tokyo.
いい
[i]
(to be; part of います)
い is part of います. With すんでいます, it makes “(I) live (currently).”
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 keeps the question polite. Common in introductions and polite conversation.
どこにすんでいますか。
Where do you live?
かか
[ka]
(question marker)
か makes the whole sentence a question.
いま、どこにすんでいますか。
Where do you live now?
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