Japanese word

家

Pronunciation

Romajiie

Meaning

  • nounhome, house

Example

家に帰ります。ie ni kae ri ma su

I go home.

Illustration for 家 (home)

More examples

私の家は大きいです。watashi no ie wa ō ki i de su

My house is big.

毎朝、家で朝ご飯を食べます。mai asa ie de asa go han o ta be ma su

I eat breakfast at home every morning.

Core concept

It denotes the familiar place or building where a person lives and returns to.

Common phrases

  • 家にいるie ni i ru

    be at home

  • 家に帰るie ni kae ru

    go home

  • 家で寝るie de ne ru

    sleep at home

  • 家を出るie o de ru

    leave home

  • 家で過ごすie de su go su

    spend time at home

Similar words

うちuchi: A casual term for the place where a person lives or the household there.
自宅jitaku: A person's own home or place of residence.

Definition in Japanese

人が住み、生活を営むための建物やその場所。hito ga su mi sei katsu o itona mu ta me no tate mono ya so no ba sho

Word origin

家 (ie, "house") is a native Japanese word, while the kanji 家 was borrowed from Chinese to write it.

Usage tips

  • In everyday Japanese, 家 (ie) can refer to a building, a household, or the place someone calls home, so context often determines the closest English meaning.

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