What does 宿 mean in Japanese?
宿 means lodging or an inn — a place to stay. For most learners, though, the first place you meet it is 宿題 (shukudai, homework), where 宿 combines with 題 (topic) to mean the ‘task set to take home’.
The on’yomi シュク appears in 宿題 (homework), 宿泊 (shukuhaku, staying overnight), and 民宿 (minshuku, a family-run guesthouse). The kun’yomi やど (yado) means an inn or lodging on its own.
Reading
On’yomi: シュク (shuku)
Kun’yomi: やど (yado), やど-る (yado-ru)
Basic Information
| Kanji | 宿 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | lodging, inn, homework |
| Stroke Count | 11 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
宿 covers two everyday areas. First is lodging: 宿 (yado) is a place to stay, 宿泊 (shukuhaku) is the act of staying overnight (宿泊料, lodging fee), 民宿 (minshuku) is a small family-run guesthouse, and 下宿 (geshuku) is longer-term boarding, e.g. a student renting a room. Second, and the one N4 learners meet first, is 宿題 (shukudai) — homework. The bridge is 宿’s older sense of ‘to lodge/house something’: a 宿題 is a task ‘lodged’ with you to take home. The kun’yomi やど is a slightly traditional, warm word for an inn.
Common Words
- 宿題（しゅくだい / shukudai） — homework
- 宿（やど / yado） — an inn, lodging
- 宿泊（しゅくはく / shukuhaku） — lodging, staying overnight
- 下宿（げしゅく / geshuku） — boarding house, lodging
- 民宿（みんしゅく / minshuku） — a family-run guesthouse
- 宿屋（やどや / yadoya） — an inn (traditional)
Example Sentences
-
毎日、宿題をしてから遊びます。
まいにち、しゅくだいをしてからあそびます。 / Mainichi, shukudai o shite kara asobimasu.
Every day I do my homework and then play.
-
旅行中は駅の近くの宿に泊まりました。
りょこうちゅうはえきのちかくのやどにとまりました。 / Ryokou chuu wa eki no chikaku no yado ni tomarimashita.
During the trip we stayed at an inn near the station.
-
温泉のある民宿を予約しました。
おんせんのあるみんしゅくをよやくしました。 / Onsen no aru minshuku o yoyaku shimashita.
I booked a guesthouse with a hot spring.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
The everyday word to lock in first is 宿題 (shukudai, homework) — it is the most common context for 宿 in a learner’s life, even though 宿’s core meaning is ‘lodging’. Read it shukudai, and note the pairing 宿 + 題 (題 = topic/task).
For the lodging sense, group the compounds by reading: シュク in 宿泊 (shukuhaku, staying over), 民宿 (minshuku, guesthouse), 下宿 (geshuku, boarding); and やど in 宿 (yado, an inn) and 宿屋 (yadoya, an old-style inn). 宿泊 pairs 宿 with 泊 (to stay overnight), a word you may already know.
Do not confuse 宿泊 (shukuhaku, staying at lodgings) with 宿題 (shukudai, homework) — they share 宿 but nothing else. The second kanji tells you which: 泊 (stay over) vs 題 (task).
Summary
宿 means lodging or an inn (宿, 宿泊, 民宿) and also forms 宿題 (homework), the word learners meet first. On’yomi シュク, kun’yomi やど.