家属

• Pinyin: jiā shǔ
• Hanzi breakdown: 家 = 宀 (roof) + 豕 (pig); 属 = 尸 (body/person) + 蜀 (phonetic) — to belong to, dependent

Meaning

Family member; dependent; next of kin. Refers to the members of a person's immediate or close family, especially in formal or official contexts.

Often used in hospitals, government documents, military, and legal contexts to refer to the relatives or dependants of someone. 家属 implies a formal or institutional relationship, such as 病人家属 (patient's family), 烈士家属 (family of a martyr). It is more formal than 家人 and less intimate than 亲人.

Examples

1. 医院通知家属尽快赶来。 The hospital notified the family to come as quickly as possible.
2. 手术前需要家属签字同意。 Before the surgery, the family's signed consent is required.
3. 公司为员工家属提供了保险。 The company has provided insurance for employees' family members.

Usage Guide

Context: medical, legal, official, military

Tone: official

Do Say

• 请通知患者家属。(Please notify the patient's family.)
• 家属可以在等候室等待。(Family members may wait in the waiting room.)

Don't Say

• 我的家属是我的朋友。(Don't use 家属 for friends — it specifically refers to family or dependants, not friends. Say 我的朋友 or 我的家人.)

Origin & History

Compound of 家 (family, home) and 属 (to belong to, dependant). 家属 literally means 'those who belong to the family,' particularly in a formal or legal sense.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal