What is the Kanji for "House"?

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for "House", you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for "House" is "家".

This kanji has 4 readings:

Its kunyomi readings are "Ya" and "Ie".

Its onyomi readings are "Ke" and "Ka".

kunyomi readings are based on the pronunciation of native Japanese words, and onyomi readings are based on the Chinese pronunciation of the character.

If you visually breakdown this kanji, you can see is made up of 2 parts:

The radical "宀" means "Roof" . And The radical "豕" means "Pig" .

Now, let's make sure you understand this kanji the other way around too.

What does the kanji "家" mean in japanese?

"家" means "House".

Japanese School Students learn this kanji in Second Grade, while foreigners may learn this kanji in preparation for the JLPT N4 exam.

Here are some words that use this kanji:

家: "House". The Japanese noun '家 (いえ)' means 'house'. This word refers to a building or structure that is used as a residence, providing shelter and a place to live. It can be used to describe various types of dwellings, from traditional Japanese houses to modern apartments. For example: My house is large - (私の家は大きい). He lives in a small house - (彼は小さい家に住んでいます).

家族: "Family". The Japanese noun '家族 (かぞく)' refers to one's immediate family members, such as parents, children, siblings, and spouse. It can also be used more broadly to describe a group of people who are closely related or live together. '家族' emphasizes the close-knit bonds and relationships within a household. For example: My family is very close - (私の家族は非常に仲が良い). The family gathered for dinner - (家族で夕食を食べた).

家内: "Wife". The Japanese noun '家内 (かない)' means 'wife'. This word is used to refer to one's own wife in a respectful manner. It can be used in formal or informal situations. For example: My wife is a kind person - (私の家内は優しい人です). She is my wife - (彼女は私の家内です).

国家: "Nation". The Japanese noun '国家 (こっか)' means 'nation'. This word refers to a large political entity that has its own government, territory, and people. It is used to describe a country or a sovereign state. For example: Our nation is prosperous - (私たちの国家は栄えている). The nation declared war - (国家は戦争を宣言した).

家庭: "Home". The Japanese noun '家庭 (かてい)' means 'home'. This word refers to one's family household or domestic environment. It encompasses the place where one lives with their family and the social unit formed by a family living together. '家庭' is often used to describe the private, intimate sphere of family life, in contrast to the public realm. For example: My home is cozy - (私の家庭は居心地が良い). She helps with chores at home - (彼女は家庭の仕事を手伝う).

家賃: "Rent". The Japanese noun '家賃 (やちん)' means 'rent'. It refers to the periodic payment made by a tenant to a landlord for the use of a property. The amount of rent is typically determined by factors such as the location, size, and amenities of the property. The word is commonly used in phrases like '家賃を払う (やちんをはらう)' meaning 'to pay the rent', and '家賃が高い (やちんがたかい)' meaning 'the rent is expensive'. For example: The rent for my apartment is very high - (私のアパートの家賃がとてもたかい).

作家: "Writer". The Japanese noun '作家 (さっか)' refers to an author or writer. This term is used to describe someone who writes books, stories, articles, or other literary works professionally. It carries a nuance of skill, talent and dedication to the craft of writing. For example: She is a famous writer - (彼女は有名な作家です). The writer published a new novel - (作家が新しい小説を出版しました).

家出: "To run away from home". The Japanese verbal noun '家出 (いえで)' means 'to run away from home'. This term refers to the action of leaving one's home, often done by young people who are experiencing family issues or conflicts. It has a connotation of rebelling against or escaping from one's home environment. For example: She ran away from home - (彼女は家出した). I'm thinking about running away from home - (私は家出しようと考えている).

大家: "Landlord". The Japanese noun '大家 (おおや)' means 'landlord'. This term refers to a person who owns a rental property and rents it out to others. It is commonly used to describe the owner of an apartment building, house, or other real estate property that is being leased. For example: The landlord raised the rent - (大家が家賃を上げました). Our landlord is very friendly - (私たちの大家さんは very friendly です).

家屋: "Building". The Japanese noun '家屋 (かおく)' means 'building'. This word refers to a physical structure constructed for human habitation or use. It can be used to describe a wide variety of buildings, from small houses to large commercial structures. For example: The building is very tall - (その家屋は非常に高い).

家計: "Household finances". The Japanese noun '家計 (かけい)' refers to the financial management and budgeting of a household or family. It encompasses the income, expenditures, and overall financial situation of a domestic unit. '家計' is commonly used when discussing topics such as household budgeting, saving money, and managing personal or family finances. For example: They are trying to reduce their household expenses - (彼らは家計を削減しようとしている).

実家: "Parental home". The Japanese noun '実家 (じっか)' refers to one's parental or family home, where one's parents or other relatives live. It is often associated with a sense of nostalgia, familiarity, and a place of comfort. For example: I often visit my parental home on the weekends - (週末によくついで実家に行きます). He grew up in his parental home - (彼は実家で育ちました).

我が家: "My home" or "One's own home". The noun '我が家 (わがや)' means 'my home' or 'one's own home'. It is a polite way to refer to one's personal residence, conveying a sense of pride and ownership. This term is often used when contrasting one's home with another's, or when discussing domestic matters. For example: I went to my home - (私は我が家に行きました). This is my home - (これが我が家です).

政治家: "Politician". The Japanese noun '政治家 (せいじか)' refers to a person who is actively involved in politics, usually as an elected or appointed government official. Politicians make decisions, create laws, and represent the interests of their constituents. They can work at the local, regional, or national level of government. For example: Taro is a politician - (太郎は政治家です). The politician gave a speech - (政治家が演説をした).

一家: "Family". The noun '一家 (いっか)' means 'family'. This word refers to a single household unit, typically consisting of parents and their children. It can be used to describe one's own immediate family, or a family unit more broadly. For example: My family is big - (私の一家は大きい). The family went on vacation - (一家で旅行に行った).

農家: "Farmer". The Japanese word '農家 (のうか)' refers to a farmer or a person who works in agriculture. It is a compound word consisting of the characters for 'agriculture' (農) and 'house' (家). Farmers are an important part of Japanese society, as agriculture plays a significant role in the country's economy and cultural traditions. For example: My grandfather is a farmer - (私の祖父は農家です). The farmer harvested the rice - (農家は稲を収穫した).

家事: "Chores". The Japanese noun '家事 (かじ)' refers to the domestic tasks and duties involved in running a household, such as cleaning, cooking, laundry, and other household maintenance activities. It encompasses the work required to keep a home functioning and organized. For example: I do the chores every weekend - (私は週末に家事をします). She is good at doing household chores - (彼女は家事がよくできる).

画家: "Painter". The Japanese noun '画家 (がか)' refers to a person who is skilled in the art of painting. A '画家' creates artworks using various painting techniques and media such as oils, acrylics, watercolors, etc. They may specialize in different genres like portraiture, landscape, abstract, etc. For example: She is a famous painter - (彼女は有名な画家です). The painter created a beautiful landscape - (その画家は素晴らしい風景画を描きました).

家主: "Landlord". The Japanese noun '家主 (やぬし)' means 'landlord'. This word refers to the owner or proprietor of a house, apartment, or other rental property. The '家主' is the person who rents out their property to tenants. For example: The landlord raised the rent - (家主が家賃を上げた). I need to speak to the landlord about some repairs - (修理のことで家主に話さなければならない).

専門家: "Expert". The Japanese noun '専門家 (せんもんか)' refers to an expert or a specialist in a particular field. This word is often used to describe someone who has extensive knowledge, experience, and skills in a specific subject or area of study. For example: She is an expert in finance - (彼女は finance の専門家です). The company hired an expert to consult on the new project - (その会社は新しいプロジェクトについて相談するために専門家を雇った).

家具: "Furniture". The Japanese noun '家具 (かぐ)' refers to pieces of furniture, such as desks, chairs, tables, beds, etc. It can be used to describe both large and small household items used for storage, seating, or other functional purposes. For example: The shop sells high-quality furniture - (このお店は高品質な家具を販売しています). I need to buy new furniture for my apartment - (私は新しい家具を買う必要があります).

家臣: "Retainer". The Japanese noun '家臣 (かしん)' refers to a retainer or feudal vassal who served a lord or daimyo in feudal Japan. Retainers were bound by strong loyalty and obligation to their lord, and often served in military or administrative roles. For example: The lord's retainers were prepared to defend the castle - (殿様の家臣は城を守る用意がされていた). The daimyo depended on his capable retainers - (大名は能力のある家臣に頼っていた).

武家: "Samurai". The Japanese noun '武家 (ぶけ)' refers to the class of samurai warriors in feudal Japan. This term encompasses the military class, including not only the samurai themselves, but also their families and households. The samurai were highly trained in martial arts and were expected to follow a strict code of honor and loyalty. For example: The samurai class held a lot of political power - (武家階級は政治的な力を持っていた). The samurai's role was to serve their feudal lord - (武家の役割は主君に仕えることだった).

To make really sure you learn this Kanji, I've prepared an interactive lesson for you. You are going to learn the readings and meanings of this kanji.

But first, you need to know a little bit about Hiragana and Katakana.

Hiragana and katakana are japanese syllabaries, this means that each character represents a syllable.

This are the characters you need to know for this lesson:

The hiragana "や" is read as "ya". The hiragana "け" is read as "ke". The hiragana "か" is read as "ka". The hiragana "い" is read as "i". And The hiragana "え" is read as "e".

Heres a quick tutorial on how to use it. You'll be asked three type of questions: meaning, reading, and writing.

For meanings questions all you have to do is type the english meaning. If there is more than one meaning, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Reading questions you have to type the reading in romaji (roman letters, our normal alphabet) and it'll be automatically converted to hiragana if necessary. If there is more than one reading, you have to include them all in your answer separating them by commas (,).

For Writing questions some options will appear and all you have to do is select the correct ones.