家庭

• Pinyin: jiā tíng
• Hanzi breakdown: 家 (jiā) — home, family; 庭 (tíng) — courtyard, hall

Meaning

Family; household. The group of people living together as a domestic unit.

A slightly more formal word than 家 for referring to the family unit. Used in contexts like 家庭作业 (homework), 家庭生活 (family life), and on official forms. Emphasizes the family as a social unit.

Examples

1. 她有一个幸福的家庭。 She has a happy family.
2. 家庭对每个人都很重要。 Family is very important to everyone.
3. 他来自一个很大的家庭。 He comes from a very large family.

Usage Guide

Context: family, society, forms

Tone: warm, serious

Do Say

• 家庭是最重要的。(Family is the most important thing.)
• 你的家庭有几口人？(How many people are in your family?)

Don't Say

• 日常口语中不要总用家庭，说家更自然 (In casual chat, just say 家 — 家庭 sounds more formal and is better for discussing the concept of family)

Origin & History

Compound of 家 (home, family) and 庭 (courtyard, hall). Literally the home and its courtyard — the complete domestic space.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal