安家落户 (ān jiā luò hù) — to settle down and make a home in a place; to establish a residence

Definition

A four-character idiom meaning to put down roots in a new place — settle down, build a home, and stay. Implies permanence (marriage, family, long-term residence), stronger than just 住.

idiom
to settle down and make a home in a placeto establish a residence

Examples

  • ，安家落户。
    Tā zài běi jīng gōng zuò le shí nián, zuì hòu jué dìng zài zhè lǐ ān jiā luò hù.
    He worked in Beijing for ten years and finally decided to settle down here.
  • ，安家落户。
    Hěn duō yí mín dào guó wài hòu, dōu xī wàng néng jǐn kuài ān jiā luò hù.
    Many immigrants, after going abroad, hope to settle down as soon as possible.
  • ，安家落户。
    Zhè ge xiǎo zhèn huán jìng yōu měi, xī yǐn le bù shǎo rén qián lái ān jiā luò hù.
    This small town has a beautiful environment, attracting many people to come and settle down.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
联合liánhéSide by side

Two parts of equal weight, alike or opposite in meaning, standing side by side.

安家settle a home
安ānsettle家jiāhome
动宾Verb + object
落户register a household
落luòregister户hùhousehold
动宾Verb + object

'安家' means settle a home and '落户' means register a household, so settle down.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀mián
Sound part声符shēngfú
女
女nǚ安ān
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

In 安, 宀 sits above a seated 女 on a cushion; 宀 is the meaning part, 女 is the sound part, and the character originally meant sitting at ease.

Open 安 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
宀宀miánroof
Sound part声符shēngfú
𢑓
𢑓𢑓家jiā
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The early drawing of 家 showed a roof 宀 over a male-pig sign 𢑓 that gave the pronunciation; the lower part later changed shape.

Open 家 →

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
艹Written in full as艸cǎo
Sound part声符shēngfú
洛
洛luò落luò
Same sound today

落 pairs 艹 with 洛; 洛 gives the sound, and 艹 relates to the meaning.

Open 落 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 戶; 户 is its simplified writing.

The traditional form 戶 is a picture of half of a gate. The simplified 户 is a later shorthand, so its shape should not be read as the original parts.

Open 户 →

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