Breakdown of watasi ha ryou ni sunde imasu.
はha
topic particle
私watasi
I
にni
location particle
住むsumu
to live
〜て いる〜te iru
progressive form
寮ryou
dormitory
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Questions & Answers about watasi ha ryou ni sunde imasu.
What function does は serve in the sentence and why is it pronounced wa instead of ha?
は is the topic‐marking particle. It tells the listener what the sentence is “about.” Although it’s written with the hiragana for “ha,” when used as a particle it’s always pronounced wa.
Why is に used after 寮 instead of で?
に marks the location of existence or residence. Since 住んでいます describes a state of living somewhere (a condition), you use に. The particle で would indicate the location of an action, not a state.
What does 住んでいます mean and how is it formed grammatically?
住んでいます is the polite, continuous (progressive/habitual) form of 住む (“to live”). You take the て-form (住んで), attach いる to show an ongoing state, and then make it polite (います), giving “am living” or “live (in).”
Why can’t I just say 住みます instead of 住んでいます?
住みます is the polite non-past form of 住む, often used for future or simple habitual actions (“will live” or “live [in general]”). To express that you currently reside somewhere (a present state), Japanese prefers the て-いる form: 住んでいます.
Can I omit 私は and just say 寮に住んでいます?
Yes. Japanese often drops pronouns when the subject is clear from context. 寮に住んでいます still means “(I) live in a dormitory.”
How would this sentence sound in casual, everyday speech?
You can use the casual contraction of the て-いる form:
寮に住んでる
You might also add よ for emphasis: 寮に住んでるよ.
What is the reading and meaning of 寮?
寮 is read りょう. It means “dormitory,” “boarding house,” or “residence hall.”