家
jiā/t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/
The English word "home" is translated as 家 (jiā) in Chinese.
Meaning: house or structure in which someone lives (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 家 | jiā | /t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) /d͡ʑ̥i̯ä/ (Mandarin, Standard Chinese, Sinological IPA) |
|
| 厝 | chhù | /t͡sʰu⁴¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Tong'an, Philippines, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /t͡sʰu¹¹/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Jinjiang, Tong'an, Philippines, Sinological IPA, Taipei, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
| 兜 | tau / to͘ | /tau³³/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, General Taiwanese) /tau⁴⁴/ (Min Nan, Hokkien, Xiamen, Quanzhou, Zhangzhou, Sinological IPA, Taipei, Kaohsiung, General Taiwanese) |
Hokkien |
The term 家 refers to a house or structure in which someone lives. It is the most common and general way to express the concept of home in Chinese. Beyond the physical building, 家 also carries the meaning of the family unit living within it.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Dungan, the word for home is җя. In Hokkien, you may use 厝 (chhù) or 兜 (tau / to͘).
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
To express the concept of being 'at home' or 'inside the house', the standard way is to add the particle 里 (inside) to the word for home, resulting in 家里. To say the action 'to go home', you use the verb 回 (to return) with 家, forming the phrase 回家.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is jiā and the IPA is /tɕi̯ä⁵⁵/.
Did you know?
- The character 家 originally depicted a 'male pig' under a 'roof'.
- The word 家 is also used as a suffix to denote a professional or expert in a specific field, such as a 'scientist' or 'artist'.
Examples in context
- 你在家里吗？Are you at home?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is at home using 家.Tatoeba #406192 by GlossaMatik, translation #405500 by CK
- 我有一个家。I have a home.This sentence is useful for stating that one has a home using 家.Tatoeba #1786136 by sadhen, translation #1786134 by gleki
- 你在回家吗？Are you going home?This sentence is useful for asking if someone is going home using 家.Tatoeba #3378230 by GlossaMatik, translation #2852258 by CK
- 我回家了I've returned home.
- 她的住所很大很漂亮。Her place of residence is big and beautiful.
- 我回家I go home.
- 他刚刚回到家了。He just arrived home.
- 明天我们一起在家吃饭吧！Let's have dinner together at home tomorrow!
- 683 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their weekend plans.
- 浩然 Haoran你周末打算去家吗？Nǐ zhōumò dǎsuàn qù jiā ma？Are you planning to go home this weekend?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen不，我想在朋友家住。Bù, wǒ xiǎng zài péngyǒu jiā zhù.No, I want to stay at a friend's house.
- 浩然 Haoran那个家离这里远吗？Nàge jiā lí zhèlǐ yuǎn ma？Is that home far from here?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen很近，走路十分钟就到了。Hěn jìn, zǒulù shí fēnzhōng jiù dào le.It's very close, just a ten-minute walk.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “home” translations and entries 家, 厝, 兜, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 兜, 厝, 家, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
