Meaning of 家里
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- home
How to use 家里
家里 is used for "at home" or "in the house," and it can also mean "my family" or "the household." It often comes after 在 (zài) to say where someone is. Example: 我在家里。 (Wǒ zài jiā li.) I am at home.
家 (jiā) means home or family, and 里 (li) means inside. Put them together and 家里 is simply "inside the home," the same 里 you see in 这里 (zhèlǐ, here) and 那里 (nàlǐ, there).
Common mistake: Learners often write 家里 when 回家 is needed. For "go home," say 回家 (huí jiā), not 回家里. Also, 里 is usually read in the light neutral tone here, so say jiā li, not a full third-tone jiā lǐ.
家里 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.
家 jiā · home · 10 strokes
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- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
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- 9
- 10
里 lǐ · lining · 7 strokes
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- 2
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Related words
Words that share a character with 家里.
| 这里 | zhèlǐ | here |
| 那里 | nàlǐ | there; that place |
| 哪里 | nǎlǐ | where?; somewhere |
| 回家 | huí jiā | to return home |
| 国家 | guójiā | country; nation; state |
| 家人 | jiārén | family member; (old) servant |
| 在家 | zàijiā | to be at home; (at a workplace) to be in (as opposed to being away on official business 出差 |
| 里边 | lǐbian | inside |
| 大家 | dàjiā | everyone; influential family |
| 家庭 | jiātíng | family; household |
| 心里 | xīnlǐ | chest; heart; mind |
| 作家 | zuòjiā | author |
Questions about 家里
What does 家里 mean?
家里 (jiā li) means "home".
How do you write 家里?
家里 is made of 2 characters: 家 (10 strokes), 里 (7 strokes). That is 17 strokes in total.
Is 家里 an HSK word?
Yes. 家里 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
How is 家里 written in traditional Chinese?
In traditional characters, 家里 is written 家裡.
What is the difference between 在家 and 在家里?
Both mean "at home" and are often interchangeable. 在家 is shorter and very common in speech. 在家里 puts a bit more focus on being inside the house.
Can 家里 mean family members?
Yes. 家里 can refer to your household or the people in it, as in 家里有四个人 (jiā li yǒu sì ge rén), "There are four people in my family." For an individual family member, use 家人 (jiārén).