The Meaning of ishokujuu [衣食住] In Japanese

衣食住
いしょくじゅう
Romaji: ishokujuu N5

What does 衣食住 mean?

Translation and Meaning

clothing, food, housing

Definition

衣食住 means the three essential elements required for daily life: clothing, food, and shelter. It captures the core needs that support a person’s everyday existence and is used to discuss living standards, social welfare, and how society helps people meet these basic prerequisites.

Type

compound noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Conveys a framework for evaluating the basic needs of individuals or households, often in policy or economic analysis
  • Serves as a shorthand for discussions about affordability, standards of living, and social support programs
  • Used metaphorically to refer to everyday life and the essentials that sustain it, excluding luxuries

Etymology

衣 い, 食 しょく, 住 じゅう combine in on’yomi to form 衣食住, pronounced ishokujuu.

Composition

  • 衣 clothing, garment
  • 食 food, nourishment
  • 住 living, dwelling
  • Together they denote the three indispensable pillars of daily life

Usage

Applied in formal writing about welfare, living standards, and economic policy; in statistical or academic contexts it frames discussions around what households need to live. In everyday discourse it appears in discussions of social safety nets and cost of living, typically in more formal registers or journalism.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: picture a small house with a closet of clothes and a kitchen shelf—three symbols aligned as the core supports of everyday life, pronounced ishokujuu.

Variations

  • 衣食住の三要素, romaji: ishokujuu no sanyōso
  • 基本的生活要素, romaji: kihonteki seikatsu yōso
  • 生活の基本三要素, romaji: seikatsu no kihon sanyōso

Example Phrases

  • 衣食住 を 見直して 貯金 も 増やしたい
    Ishokujuu o minaoshite chokin mo fuyashitai
    I want to reassess my basic needs (衣食住) and also increase my savings.
    Lista:
    • 衣食住 (ishokujuu) – clothing, food, and shelter
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 見直して (minaoshite) – reassess
    • 貯金 (chokin) – savings
    • も (mo) – also
    • 増やしたい (fuyashitai) – want to increase
    Here 「衣食住」 is a noun meaning basic needs; it is the direct object of 見直して.
衣食住