在家 meaning in English
to be at home; (at a workplace) to be in (as opposed to being away on official business 出差[chu1 chai1])
Meaning of 在家
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- to be at home
- (at a workplace) to be in (as opposed to being away on official business 出差[chu1 chai1])
- (Buddhism etc) to remain a layman (as opposed to becoming a monk or a nun 出家[chu1 jia1])
How to use 在家
在家 is very common in daily speech to say someone is at home or to ask if they are. It can also mean someone is in the office rather than away on a business trip. Example: 你明天在家吗？(Nǐ míngtiān zàijiā ma?) Will you be home tomorrow?
在 (zài) means to be located somewhere, and 家 (jiā) means home. Put them together and you get 在家 (zàijiā), simply "to be at home."
Common mistake: Learners often say 我是在家 (wǒ shì zàijiā) by copying English "I am at home," but 在 already works as the verb, so just say 我在家 (wǒ zàijiā). Also do not confuse 在家 (being at home) with 回家 (huí jiā), which means going back home.
在家 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
在 zài · to exist · 6 strokes
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家 jiā · home · 10 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 在家.
| 现在 | xiànzài | now; at present; currently |
| 正在 | zhèngzài | to be in the process of (doing sth); to be currently ...-ing |
| 回家 | huí jiā | to return home |
| 国家 | guójiā | country; nation; state |
| 家里 | jiā li | home |
| 家人 | jiārén | family member; (old) servant |
| 大家 | dàjiā | everyone; influential family |
| 家庭 | jiātíng | family; household |
| 实在 | shízài | really; actually |
| 作家 | zuòjiā | author |
| 科学家 | kēxuéjiā | scientist |
| 家长 | jiāzhǎng | head of a household; family head |
Questions about 在家
What does 在家 mean?
在家 (zàijiā) means "to be at home; (at a workplace) to be in (as opposed to being away on official business 出差[chu1 chai1])" and is used as a verb.
How do you write 在家?
在家 is made of 2 characters: 在 (6 strokes), 家 (10 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 在家 an HSK word?
Yes. 在家 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
Can I put a verb after 在家?
Yes. 在家 often sets the location for an action, as in 我在家看书 (wǒ zàijiā kàn shū), I read at home. The place phrase comes before the verb in Chinese.
What is the difference between 在家 and 出家?
在家 can describe a Buddhist layperson who stays in ordinary life. 出家 (chūjiā) means to leave home to become a monk or nun. In everyday talk, though, 在家 almost always just means being at home.