家 means “house, home”

いえ · ie

Also: family, professional

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading): いえ, や, うち
On'yomi (Chinese reading): カ, ケ

JLPT N4 · Taught in grade 2 · 10 strokes

The story

A roof (宀) sheltering a pig (豕): in ancient China, keeping pigs under the roof meant prosperity. The Japanese 家 carries this warmth: home is where life is sustained. The word 家族 (kazoku, family) literally places the family inside the house.

Used in 家族 (kazoku, family), 家庭 (katei, household), and 作家 (sakka, author)

Where it comes from

Compound Ideographic (会意文字): A roof sheltering a pig: prosperity and home.

In ancient agricultural China, the pig was the most valuable domestic animal. A roof (宀) sheltering a pig (豕) meant a prosperous household. Over millennia, the meaning shifted from "wealthy homestead" to simply "home" or "family."

To remember it: A roof (宀) over a pig (豕). Ancient families measured wealth by pigs under the roof!

Words with 家

家族 (かぞく, kazoku): family
家庭 (かてい, katei): household
家族 (かぞく, kazoku): family
家庭 (かてい, katei): household / home

Example sentences

家族で旅行に行きました。 I went on a trip with my family.
新しい家を買いました。 I bought a new house.

More from Family & Home

Learn 家 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji