我的家人
wǒ de jiārén
In Chinese, 'my family' is expressed as 我的家人 (wǒ de jiārén).
The phrase is used to refer to the people who are related to a person by blood or marriage. Common family members you might mention include 爸爸 (father), 妈妈 (mother), 哥哥 (older brother), 姐姐 (older sister), 弟弟 (younger brother), 妹妹 (younger sister), 外婆 (maternal grandmother), 舅舅 (maternal uncle) and 嫂嫂 (elder brother's wife).
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase 我的家人 is composed of 我 (I/me), 的 (a possessive particle) and 家人 (family members).
Which one should you use?
While 我的家人 emphasizes the individual family members, the term 家 (jiā) refers more to the concept of the family unit or the home itself. For example, 我的家人 translates to 'my family members'.
How does it change in a sentence?
While 我的家人 specifically refers to the people, the phrase 我的家 can be used more broadly to mean 'my family' or 'my household' depending on the context.
How do you pronounce it?
wǒ de jiārén
Did you know?
- While 我的家人 describes your relatives, the word 家 (home) is composed of characters meaning 'roof' and 'pig'. This reflects an ancient agricultural society where keeping livestock under one roof was the definition of a household.
- While you might say 我的家人 in a formal setting, many Chinese people refer to their family members using kinship terms as pronouns, essentially treating 'older brother' or 'aunt' as a replacement for 'you'.
- The term 家人 specifically refers to those who share a household or bloodline, but in modern slang, it is sometimes used online to address a loyal community of followers as if they were 'family members'.
Examples in context
- 我為我的家人拍了照片。I took a picture of my family.This sentence is useful for describing taking a photo of 我的家人.Tatoeba #881109 by Martha, translation #256520 by CK
- 我的家人住在那间房子。My family live in that house.This sentence is useful for stating where 我的家人 live.Tatoeba #8875033 by iiujik, translation #5144447 by Barra
- 我要去機場迎接我的家人。I have to go to the airport to meet my family.This sentence is useful for mentioning going to the airport to meet 我的家人.Tatoeba #689830 by nickyeow, translation #18210 by CK
- 我的家庭很重要。My family is very important.
- 我的家人对我很支持。My family is very supportive of me.
- 我的家里人都喜欢旅行。Everyone in my family enjoys traveling.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their weekend plans over coffee.
- 梓涵 Zihan你周末要做什么？Nǐ zhōumò yào zuò shénme?What are you doing this weekend?
- 俊杰 Junjie我要去看我的家人。Wǒ yào qù kàn wǒ de jiārén.I am going to visit my family.
- 梓涵 Zihan你的家人住得远吗？Nǐ de jiārén zhù de yuǎn ma?Does your family live far away?
- 俊杰 Junjie不远，他们就在附近。Bù yuǎn, tāmen jiù zài fùjìn.Not far, they live nearby.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
