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谁家 (shuí jiā) — whose (house/family)

Definition

Used in questions about whose family or household something belongs to (whose dog, whose child). Note the tone contour: shéi, not shuí.

pronoun
whose (house/family)

Examples

  • 谁家？
    Zhè shì shuí jiā de hái zi?
    Whose child is this?
  • 谁家？
    shuí jiā De gǒu pǎo chū lái le?
    Whose dog ran out?
  • 谁家？
    Nǐ zhù zài shuí jiā?
    Whose house do you live in?

Origin

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.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 誰; 谁 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
言言yánspeak
Sound part声符shēngfú
隹
隹zhuī誰shuí
Close in sound todayThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The form 誰 pairs 言 (speak) with 隹, which supplies the sound; this shape is described for 誰, not 谁.

Open 谁 →

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 →
Appears in
Family & Kinship

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