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Chinese vocabulary · Beginner
How do you say "family" in Chinese?
家
jiā
In Chinese, "family" is 家.
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Pronunciation
Say 'jyah' (rising tone, soft 'j' like in 'jump'). One syllable.
Writing and usage
One character. 家 has ten strokes and shows a roof radical on top with a pig inside (historically, pigs were kept under the roof, meaning family home).
Example sentence
我爱我的家。
I love my family.
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How to remember 家
The roof radical at the top shows 'home', and the pig inside was a sign of a well-fed family. So 家 = home and family together.
Related words
- bottle opener 开瓶器 kāi píng qì
- clothes hanger 衣架 yī jià
- diary 日记 rì jì
- fork 叉子 chā zi
- leather bag 皮包 pí bāo
- microwave 微波炉 wēi bō lú
- faucet 水龙头 shuǐ lóng tóu
- tatami mat 榻榻米垫 tà tà mǐ diàn
- toilet paper 卫生纸 wèi shēng zhǐ
Browse all Chinese words in the glossary.
Questions about 家
How do you say "family" in Chinese?
In Chinese, "family" is 家. It is a noun.
How is 家 written in Chinese?
One character. 家 has ten strokes and shows a roof radical on top with a pig inside (historically, pigs were kept under the roof, meaning family home).
How is 家 used in a sentence?
Use 家 as you would use the equivalent noun in English. For example: 我爱我的家。 (I love my family.).
Where can I practice Chinese words for free?
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"Family" in other languages
Curated by Callan Ratcliffe
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