家 — House, Home, Family

Meaning

家 means house, home, family, and household. It turns up constantly in daily Japanese — in words about where you live, who you live with, and even what you do for a living.

家 began as a picture. The top part, 宀 (ukanmuri, the roof radical), shows a peaked roof. Beneath it sits 豕 — an ancient pictograph of a pig. In early farming societies across China and Japan, livestock lived under the same roof as the family or in a pen below the house. A home was where people and their animals sheltered together. That image of roof + pig became the modern word for house and family.

Japanese children learn 家 in second grade. It has 10 strokes and belongs to the roof radical 宀. The meaning stretches beyond a physical building — 家 also covers the family unit inside, a lineage or clan, and even mastery of a craft. 作家さっか (novelist) and 音楽家おんがくか (musician) both use 家 to mean a dedicated practitioner.

Readings

On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings

家 has two on'yomi: カ and ケ. The correct reading depends on the specific compound word.

カ (ka) — Used in words about professionals, experts, and public institutions, as well as some household words.

作家さっか (sakka) — novelist, writer
国家こっか (kokka) — nation, state
音楽家おんがくか (ongakuka) — musician

ケ (ke) — A smaller set of compounds, mostly referring to family lines or households in a traditional sense.

家来けらい (kerai) — retainer, vassal
本家ほんけ (honke) — main family, original house
分家ぶんけ (bunke) — branch family

Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings

家 has two kun'yomi: いえ and や. These appear when the kanji stands alone or in native Japanese compounds.

いえ (ie) — The common everyday reading. Use this when talking about someone's house or home.

家いえ (ie) — house, home (standalone)
家出いえで (iede) — running away from home
空き家あきや (akiya) — vacant house, empty home

や (ya) — A softer reading, mostly found in set compound words.

家賃やちん (yachin) — rent
借家しゃくや (shakuya) — rented house

Common Words & Compounds

家 feeds into a wide range of everyday vocabulary. Here are the most useful groups.

Home & Living

家族かぞく (kazoku) — family
家庭かてい (katei) — home, household environment
家事かじ (kaji) — housework, household chores
家賃やちん (yachin) — rent
家出いえで (iede) — running away from home
借家しゃくや (shakuya) — rented house

Professions & Experts

作家さっか (sakka) — author, writer
音楽家おんがくか (ongakuka) — musician
政治家せいじか (seijika) — politician
芸術家げいじゅつか (geijutsuka) — artist
専門家せんもんか (senmonka) — specialist, expert

Society & Nation

国家こっか (kokka) — nation, state
家来けらい (kerai) — retainer, servant (historical)
武家ぶけ (buke) — samurai family, warrior clan

Example Sentences

わたしの家いえは駅えきから歩あるいて五分ごふんです。

Watashi no ie wa eki kara aruite gofun desu.

My house is a five-minute walk from the station.

家族かぞくと一緒いっしょに夕食ゆうしょくを食たべます。

Kazoku to issho ni yuushoku wo tabemasu.

I eat dinner with my family.

家賃やちんは毎月まいつき払はらいます。

Yachin wa maitsuki haraimasu.

I pay rent every month.

彼女かのじょは有名ゆうめいな作家さっかです。

Kanojo wa yuumei na sakka desu.

She is a famous author.

家事かじを手伝てつだってくれてありがとう。

Kaji wo tetsudatte kurete arigatou.

Thank you for helping with the housework.

子供こどものころ、大おおきな家いえに住すんでいました。

Kodomo no koro, ookina ie ni sunde imashita.

When I was a child, I lived in a big house.

この国家こっかは民主主義みんしゅしゅぎに基もとづいています。

Kono kokka wa minshushugi ni motozuite imasu.

This nation is founded on democracy.

家庭かていの環境かんきょうが子供こどもの成長せいちょうに影響えいきょうします。

Katei no kankyou ga kodomo no seichou ni eikyou shimasu.

The home environment shapes how a child grows up.

彼かれは家出いえでして、友達ともだちの家いえに泊とまりました。

Kare wa iede shite, tomodachi no ie ni tomarimashita.

He ran away from home and stayed at a friend's house.

Related Kanji

昼 — Daytime, Noon, Midday (Kanji N4)
親 — Parent, Intimate, Relative (Kanji N4)
顔 — Face, Look, Reputation (Kanji N4)
理 — Reason, Logic, Principle (Kanji N4)
夜 — Night, Evening (Kanji N4)
弟 — Younger Brother, Junior (Kanji N4)

Memory Tip

Picture a traditional farmhouse with a pointed roof (宀) — and underneath it, a pig (豕) snoozing beside the family. That was home in the ancient world: one roof for everyone, human and animal alike. When you see 家, think of that crowded, warm shelter.

For the expert meaning — as in 作家さっか (writer) or 政治家せいじか (politician) — picture someone so absorbed in their work that they never leave the house. The roof covers both family and lifelong passion.