Japanese word

うち

Pronunciation

Romajiuchi

Meaning

  • nounfamily, home

Example

うちは三人家族です。u chi wa san nin ka zoku de su

There are three people in my family.

Illustration for うち (family)

More examples

今日はうちで宿題をします。kyō wa u chi de shuku dai o shi ma su

I do my homework at home today.

うちの兄は毎朝、弟を学校へ送ります。u chi no ani wa mai asa otōto o gak kō e oku ri ma su

My older brother takes my younger brother to school every morning.

Core concept

The word centers on what belongs within one's familiar household, so it can refer to the home, the house, or the family.

Common phrases

  • うちの家族u chi no ka zoku

    my family

  • うちの兄u chi no ani

    my older brother

  • うちの姉u chi no ane

    my older sister

Similar words

家族kazoku: The people connected to one another as members of the same family.
身内miuchi: Close relatives considered part of a person's own family circle.
一家ikka: A whole family or household regarded as one group.

Definition in Japanese

自分が属する家族を一つのまとまりとして捉えたもの。ji bun ga zoku su ru ka zoku o hito tsu no ma to ma ri to shi te tora e ta mo no

Word origin

The native Japanese word うち (uchi) has the basic sense "inside"; this sense extends to the people within a home and gives the word its family meaning.

Usage tips

  • In casual conversation, うち (uchi) can describe the speaker's household as a social unit, while 家族 (kazoku) names the family more directly.

Other meanings

  • housenoun

Word lists with this word