家
house, home, family, professional, expert, performer
Readings
On'yomi
- カ
- ケ
Kun'yomi
- いえ
- や
- うち
Nanori
- あり
- え
- く
- つか
- べ
Meaning
家 centers on the idea of a dwelling and the people within it: a house, a home, or a family. The extended senses of professional, expert, or performer come from the idea of a family or school of specialized practice.
Most common words using 家
24 of 1,046- 家いえN5
house; residence; dwelling; home
- 家うちN1
one's house; one's home; one's family; one's household
- 家け
house; family
- 家族かぞくN5
family
- 国家こっかN2
state; country; nation
- 家庭かていN5
home; household; family; hearth
- 作家さっかN3
author; writer; novelist; artist
- 実家じっかN3
(one's parents') home
- 家電かでんN2
household (electrical) appliances; home appliances; consumer electronics
- 我が家わがやN2
one's house; one's home; one's family
- 農家のうかN3
farmer; farming family
- 一家いっかN3
a family; a household; a home; one's family; whole family
- 家事かじN4
housework; domestic chores
- 家具かぐN4
furniture
- 家賃やちんN4
rent
- 本家ほんけ
head house; main family
- お家おうち
your home; your family; their home; their family
- 家畜かちくN1
domestic animals; livestock; cattle
- 画家がかN3
painter; artist
- 家出いえでN1
running away from home; elopement
- 家系かけいN1
family lineage
- 家計かけいN1
household economy; family finances
- 家屋かおくN2
house; building
- 大家たいかN1
master; expert; authority; leading figure
Study
Etymology
家 combines 宀 (roof) and 豕 (pig), reflecting an ancient view of a household as a place where pigs were kept under the roof, symbolizing settled domestic life.
Meaning mnemonic
Under a roof 宀, a pig 豕 is kept. In ancient times, raising pigs at home meant a settled family life, so 家 means house, home, or family.
Reading mnemonic
For カ, imagine a car parked in front of the house: car -> カ, and the family's home is where the car is.