家长

• Pinyin: jiā zhǎng
• Hanzi breakdown: 家 (jiā) — family, home; 长 (zhǎng) — elder, head, to grow

Meaning

Parent; guardian. The head of a household or a student's parent.

In modern usage, primarily means a student's parent or legal guardian. Very common in school settings: 家长会 (parent-teacher meeting), 家长签字 (parent's signature). More formal than 爸爸妈妈.

Examples

1. 明天学校开家长会。 The school is holding a parent-teacher meeting tomorrow.
2. 请家长在这里签字。 Please have a parent sign here.
3. 家长都希望孩子学习好。 All parents hope their children do well in school.

Usage Guide

Context: school, education, official

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 请家长明天来学校。(Parents, please come to the school tomorrow.)
• 家长要多关心孩子。(Parents should pay more attention to their children.)

Don't Say

• 小孩不要叫自己的父母家长 (Children don't call their own parents 家长 directly — use 爸爸妈妈; 家长 is used by schools and others referring to parents)

Origin & History

Compound of 家 (family, home) and 长 (elder, head). Literally the elder or head of the family.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal