Chinese word

老家

Pronunciation

Pinyinlǎo jiā

Meaning

  • nounfamily home

Example

这个周末我要回老家。zhè ge zhōu mò wǒ yào huí lǎo jiā

I'm going back to my family home this weekend.

Illustration for 老家 (family home)

More examples

春节很多人选择回老家过节。chūn jié hěn duō rén xuǎn zé huí lǎo jiā guò jié

During the Spring Festival, many people choose to return to their family homes to celebrate the holiday.

Core concept

A home base linked to a person's family and the place where their roots began.

Common phrases

  • 回老家探亲huí lǎo jiā tàn qīn

    return to one's family home to visit relatives

  • 在老家过节zài lǎo jiā guò jié

    spend a holiday at one's family home

Similar words

家乡jiā xiāng: The town or area where a person was born and raised.
故乡gù xiāng: The place of birth or homeland to which a person feels deeply connected.
家jiā: A building used as a place for people to live.

Definition in Chinese

常用于口语，指离开常住地后返回父母居住的家，也可泛指回到出生地或故乡。cháng yòng yú kóu yǔ zhǐ lí kāi cháng zhù dì hòu fǎn huí fù mǔ jū zhù de jiā yě kě fàn zhǐ huí dào chū shēng dì huò gù xiāng

Word origin

老 (lǎo, "old") + 家 (jiā, "home") combines an established family home with the place connected to a person's roots.

Usage tips

  • English speakers may expect "family home" to mean a current residence, but 老家 (lǎojiā, "family home") often points back to an earlier family home or home region after a move.

Other meanings

  • hometownnoun
  • birthplacenoun

Opposites

  • 他乡tā xiānganother placenoun

Word lists with this word