家
jia/t͡ɕi̯ä⁵⁵/
jia is the Chinese word for home or family.
The word 家 can refer to both the physical place of residence (home) and the social unit of people (family).
How does it change in a sentence?
Adding the suffix 里 (lǐ), meaning 'inside', creates the common phrase 家里 to mean 'at home' or 'within the family'. The verb phrase 回家 (huí jiā) is the standard way to say 'to go home' or 'to return home'.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is jia and the IPA is /tɕi̯ä⁵⁵/.
Did you know?
- The original Oracle bone script for 家 combined the symbol for a 'roof' with a symbol for a 'male pig'.
- In modern Chinese, 家 is used as a suffix to turn a field of study into a title for an expert, such as in the word for 'scientist'.
- While 家 usually means 'home', a specific historical variant of the character can be used to describe someone who is 'stubborn' or 'intransigent'.
Examples in context
- 家豪說他今天不來了，臨時加班。Jia-hao said he's not coming today. He has a last-minute overtime.This sentence shows the use of 家 in a personal context.Tatoeba #13523776 by LeviHighway, translation #13523800 by LeviHighway
- 你好，我是Jia。Hello, I am Jia.
- Jia，请问你的电话号码是多少？Jia, may I ask for your phone number?
- 佳，你想要一杯茶吗？Jia, would you like a cup of tea?
- 嗨，Jia，今天我们一起出去玩吧！Hi, Jia, let's go out and play together today!
- 我住在一個很溫暖的家。Wǒ zhù zài yīgè hěn wēnnuǎn de jiā.I live in a very warm home.
- 我已經回到家了。Wǒ yǐjīng huí dào jiā le.I have already arrived home.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking on the phone in the evening.
- 浩然 Haoran曉雯，你現在到家了嗎？Xiǎowén, nǐ xiànzài dào jiā le ma?Xiaowen, have you arrived home yet?
- 晓雯 Xiaowen剛到家，現在很累。Gāng dào jiā, xiànzài hěn lèi.I just got home, and I'm very tired now.
- 浩然 Haoran那你在家好好休息吧。Nà nǐ zài jiā hǎohǎo xiūxi ba.Then get some good rest at home.
- 晓雯 Xiaowen謝謝，浩然，晚安。Xièxiè, Hàorán, wǎn'ān.Thanks, Haoran, good night.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 家, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 家, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
