家里

• Pinyin: jiā li
• Hanzi breakdown: 家 (home) + 里 (inside) — inside the home

Meaning

At home; in the house. Indicates the location of being inside one's home.

A locative phrase combining 家 (home) with 里 (inside). Used to describe things happening within the home or people being at home. Very common in daily conversation: 家里有人吗？(Is anyone home?)

Examples

1. 妈妈在家里做饭。 Mom is cooking at home.
2. 家里有三个人。 There are three people in the family.
3. 我今天不想出去，想在家里。 I don't want to go out today, I want to stay home.

Usage Guide

Context: family, everyday

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 你家里有猫吗？(Do you have a cat at home?)
• 家里很安静。(It's very quiet at home.)

Don't Say

• 在家里的里面。(Redundant — 家里 already means 'inside home'; don't add 里面 again)

Origin & History

Compound of 家 (home) and 里 (inside) — literally 'inside the home.' The suffix 里 is commonly added to location nouns in Chinese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal