Synonym Comparison
The Nuance Difference: "住みます" vs "いく"
Master the exact conceptual boundary between these Japanese terms.
Japanese Term A
住みます
すみます (sumimasu)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
VS
Japanese Term B
いく
いく (iku)
N5 / CEFR Syllabus
Nuance Contrast & Social Differences
In Japanese, both 住みます and いく are often translated to English but have distinct usages.
住みます (すみます (sumimasu)) represents "to live (somewhere)" (Level: N5) and typically represents Verb, polite form. Used to express living or residing in a place. The dictionary form is 住む.
On the other hand, いく (いく (iku)) translates to "to go" (Level: N5) and is used for Used for movement away from the speaker's current location. The polite form is 行きます. Mixing these up can sound unnatural to native Japanese speakers!
Bilingual Sentence for "住みます"
私は東京に住んでいます。
I live in Tokyo.
Bilingual Sentence for "いく"
学校へ行きます。
I go to school.
Nuance Mastery Quiz
Which Japanese word perfectly fits this blank space?
Fill in the blank: "私は東京に住んでいます。" (Meaning: "I live in Tokyo.")
🎉 Correct Answer!
Remember: "住みます" fits here because it represents "to live (somewhere)" in the context: "I live in Tokyo.".