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邻家 (lín jiā) — neighbors (the family or household next door)

Definition

Literally 'neighboring family' — 邻家 is a slightly literary or affectionate way to say 'the neighbors next door' as a household, rather than the everyday 邻居 which usually means the people.

noun
neighbors (the family or household next door)
Measure word · 户

Examples

  • 邻家。
    lín jiā De xiǎo hái hěn kě ài.
    The child next door is very cute.
  • 邻家。
    Wǒ jīng cháng qù lín jiā zuò kè.
    I often visit the neighbors next door.
  • 邻家。
    lín jiā De māo zǒng shì pǎo dào wǒ men jiā lái.
    The neighbor's cat always runs into our house.

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

邻línneighbor
家jiāhousehold

邻 means neighbor and 家 means household, naming the family next door.

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 鄰; 邻 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
阝Written in full as邑yì
Sound part声符shēngfú
粦
粦lín鄰lín
Same sound today

The traditional form 鄰 pairs 粦 (lín) as the sound part with 阝 (the full form 邑, a settlement) as the meaning part; 邻 is a simplified shorthand.

Open 邻 →

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
Friends & Social

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