gaa1 jan4家人
Jyutpinggaa1 jan4
Yalegā yàhn
Definition
Family member; relative; a member of one's household.
neutralfamilypeople
How it's used
While 家人 is perfectly acceptable in formal or written contexts, native speakers almost exclusively use 屋企人 in daily conversation. Using 家人 in casual settings can sound slightly detached or overly formal, as if reading from a news report or a legal document. It is common to hear people refer to their own family as 屋企人 even when discussing them with strangers.
Measure word
go3個goExamples
I need to go home to have dinner with my family tonight.
Related words
Common mistake
Learners often default to 家人 because it translates directly from Mandarin, but it lacks the warmth and natural flow of 屋企人. Avoid using 家人 when talking about your own parents or siblings in a relaxed, friendly chat.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
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Grammar guides
- In 30 secondsThe whole language at a glance. No tenses, no plurals, six tones, sentence particles. Read this before you dive into any specific topic.
- ParticlesSentence particles add tone, emotion, and nuance. Learn the most common particles in Cantonese and how to use them.
- Possession (嘅)How to say my, your, and his, and how to link a describing word to a noun, all with the little word 嘅 (ge3).
