Reading Property Listings

1. Vocabulary List

2. Japanese Apartment Size System

LDK — Room Codes

Japanese properties use a coded system to describe layout:

True/False: "If there is a room, a living room, a dining room and a kitchen in an apartment, we call it a 1LDK." → True Comparison: 2LDKはワンルームより大きいです。(Ni-eru-dī-kē wa wanrūmu yori ōkii desu.) — "A 2LDK apartment is larger than a studio."

帖（じょう）— Measuring Rooms in Tatami Mats

Japanese people measure room area using the size of tatami mats (たたみ).

• 1 tatami mat = 180cm long × 90cm wide ≈ 1.65m²
• 六帖（ろくじょう）= 6 tatami mats ≈ 10m²

• Example: 私の部屋は十じょうです。(Watashi no heya wa jūjō desu.) — "My room is the size of 10 tatami mats."
• Example: この部屋は六じょうで少しせまいですが、リビングは十八じょうあります。(Kono heya wa rokujō de sukoshi semai desu ga, ribingu wa jūhachijō arimasu.) — "This room is the size of 6 tatami mats, so it's a bit small, but the living room is the size of 18 tatami mats."

3. Property Listing Terms

ペット可（か）— Pets Allowed

You'll see ペット可（か） in a property listing if pets are welcome.

• か／可 means "allowed"
• Example: ねこがいます。このアパートはペットかですか？(Neko ga imasu. Kono apāto wa petto ka desu ka?) — "I have a cat. Are pets allowed in this small apartment?"
• Example: このアパートはペット可ですね。犬がほしいです。(Kono apāto wa petto ka desu ne. Inu ga hoshii desu.) — "Pets are allowed in this small apartment, aren't they? I want a dog."

ちゅうしゃじょう／駐車場 — Car Park

• Example: ちゅう車場に車をとめます。(Chūshajō ni kuruma wo tomemasu.) — "I park my car in the car park."
• Example: ちゅう車場つきの家をさがしています。(Chūshajō-tsuki no ie wo sagashite imasu.) — "I am looking for a house with a car park."
• Example: このマンションにはちゅう車場があります。でも月に二万円はらいます。(Kono manshon ni wa chūshajō ga arimasu. Demo tsuki ni niman en haraimasu.) — "This multi-storey apartment has a car park. But you pay 20,000 yen per month for it."

Note: 月に (tsuki ni) means "per month".

おきば／置き場 — Storage Space

• Used in compounds: 自転車置き場（じてんしゃおきば）= bicycle storage
• Example: 自転車は、自転車おき場にとめてください。(Jitensha wa, jitensha okiba ni tomete kudasai.) — "Please park your bicycle in the bicycle storage."
• Example: 自転車で学校に行くので、自転車おき場があると便利です。(Jitensha de gakkō ni iku node, jitensha okiba ga aru to benri desu.) — "Because I go to school by bicycle, it would be convenient if there was bicycle storage."

Grammar note: と in 「あると便利です」is used to make an "if" sentence — "if there is X, it is convenient."

Culture note: Cars and bicycles should be parked in designated areas, as roads around residential areas often have restricted parking.

4. Property Listing Terms at a Glance

5. Sentence Drill

6. Learning Context

• Topic: Reading Japanese property listings — apartment types, room sizes, and listing codes
• Culture Note: Room area in Japan is measured in 帖（じょう） — tatami mat units. 六帖（ろくじょう）≈ 10m². Property listings also use codes like ペット可, 駐車場つき, and 自転車置き場 to describe features.
• Grammar Focus: LDK room codes; 帖（じょう）for size; つきの for "with a (feature)"; と for "if" in 〜があると便利

7. Progress Tracker