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一家子 (yī jiā zi) — the whole family; the entire household

Definition

Refers to the whole family or household as a single unit, including parents, children, and relatives living together. Colloquial, warmer, and more inclusive than just saying 家人, which lists individual members.

noun
the whole familythe entire household

Examples

  • 一家子。
    Wǒ men yī jiā zi dōu zhǔn bèi qù lǚ xíng.
    Our whole family is preparing to travel.
  • 一家子。
    Tā yī jiā zi zhù zài běi jīng yǐ jīng shí nián le.
    Her entire family has lived in Beijing for ten years.
  • ，一家子。
    Guò nián shí, yī jiā zi tuán jù zài yì qǐ chī nián yè fàn.
    During the New Year, the family gathers together to eat the reunion dinner.

Origin

Derived word
构词法gòucífǎ
后缀hòuzhuìSuffix

A fixed syllable at the end that turns the word into a noun, a person, a place or the like.

一家family
一yīone家jiāfamily
偏正Modifier + head
子zǐsuffix

“一家” means family, and “子” makes it refer to the whole household.

Characters in this word

An abstract idea shown by a mark or a diagram rather than by a picture of an object.

一 is drawn as one horizontal stroke, marking the number one.

Open 一 →

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 →

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

子 is drawn as a baby with a large head, arms stretched out, and legs wrapped in a blanket.

Open 子 →
Appears in
Meat & Seafood

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