大家
dàjiā
The English phrase 'everybody' is translated into Chinese as 大家 (dàjiā).
大家 is the most common and universal way of saying "everybody" in Chinese.
Meaning: all people (pron)
What does it mean word for word?
The word 大家 literally means "big family", as it is composed of 大 (big) and 家 (family/home).
Which one should you use?
While 大家 refers to a group as a whole, like 'everyone', the term 每個人 focuses on the individual members of that group, similar to 'each person'.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For a more respectful tone, you can use the formal term 诸位.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In the Beijing dialect, the informal expression 大家儿 is more commonly used. Additionally, in northern China, the colloquial term 大伙儿 is used to refer to a group of people.
How does it change in a sentence?
In natural Chinese, the word 大家 is almost always paired with the adverb 都 to mean 'everybody/all' (e.g., 大家都…).
How do you pronounce it?
dàjiā
Did you know?
- The word 家 in 大家 can refer to a 'home' or 'family', but when added as a suffix to a field of study, it transforms into 'expert', as in 科学家 for 'scientist'.
- The character 大 in 大家 is one of the most versatile in Chinese, appearing in words for 'adult' 大人 and 'university' 大学, reflecting a conceptual link between size, age and knowledge.
- While 大家 is universal, the northern term 大伙儿 carries a much more 'down-to-earth' and rugged feeling, often used among close-knit workers or friends.
Examples in context
- 大家都同意你。Everybody agrees with you.Tatoeba #414403 by GlossaMatik, translation #32111 by CK
- 大家都在跳舞。Everybody was dancing.Tatoeba #13738253 by LeviHighway, translation #9755007 by CK
- 大家在說什麼啊？What's everybody talking about?Tatoeba #13550655 by LeviHighway, translation #6523303 by CK
- 大家好Hello, everybody.
- 各位领导、各位嘉宾 (gè wèi lǐng dǎo, gè wèi jiā bīn)Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests.
- 我们大伙儿一起去吃饭吧 (wǒ men dà huǒ r yī qǐ qù chī fàn ba)Let's all go out to eat together.
- 大家都很高兴见到你 (dà jiā dōu hěn gāo xìng jiàn dào nǐ)Everybody is happy to see you.
- 53 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A teacher, Zihan, is addressing a group of students in a classroom.
- 梓涵 Zihan大家請注意聽我說。Dàjiā qǐng zhùyì tīng wǒ shuō.Everybody, please listen carefully to what I say.
- 俊杰 Junjie老師，我們聽到了。Lǎoshī, wǒmen tīng dào le.Teacher, we heard you.
- 梓涵 Zihan俊杰，你也聽清楚了嗎？Jùnjié, nǐ yě tīng qīngchǔ le ma?Junjie, did you hear clearly too?
- 俊杰 Junjie我聽得很清楚。Wǒ tīng de hěn qīngchǔ.I heard very clearly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “everybody” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
