お宅

おたく
Alternative writings: 御宅
JLPT:N4
Frequency:
1

Your house/home (polite); a respectful way to refer to someone's household.

NounHonorific or Respectful (Sonkeigo) Language

Examples

今度お宅にお邪魔してもいいですか。

May I visit your home sometime?

お宅は駅から近いですか。

Is your house close to the station?

引っ越しのとき、お宅の近くに住みたいと思っている。

When I move, I want to live near your place.

2

Occasionally used to refer politely to someone's husband (i.e., 'your husband'), depending on context.

NounHonorific or Respectful (Sonkeigo) Language

Examples

結婚式で親戚が『お宅はお元気ですか』と尋ねた。

At the wedding a relative asked, 'Is your husband well?'

彼女は『お宅はお忙しいご主人ですね』と言った。

She said, 'Your husband seems to be a busy man.'

3

Your organization/company (polite); sometimes used to refer to someone’s organization.

NounHonorific or Respectful (Sonkeigo) Language

Examples

お宅の会社はどのような事業をしていますか。

What kind of business does your company do?

お宅と取引する前に条件を確認したい。

I want to confirm the terms before doing business with your organization.

取引先のお宅は規模が大きい。

The client organization is large.

4

Used as a polite second-person pronoun meaning 'you' in some contexts; nuance depends on familiarity and region (can be formal or slightly distant).

PronounHonorific or Respectful (Sonkeigo) Language

Examples

お宅、どなたですか?

Who are you? (polite/distant way of addressing someone)

お宅は強情だね、と彼は笑った。

He laughed, 'You're stubborn, aren't you?'

お宅の話はよく聞かせてもらった。

I've heard a lot about you/your household.