The Meaning of jikka [実家] In Japanese

実家
じっか
Romaji: jikka N5

What does 実家 mean?

Translation and Meaning

parents’ home, family home

Definition

What does 実家 mean? It means one’s parents’ home, the house where one grew up and considers the family base; it denotes the family residence as opposed to the speaker’s current home and is often used when talking about returning, visiting, or discussing upbringing.

Type

Noun (名詞)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • Parental home: the house where one’s parents live or lived, typically the place associated with childhood.
  • Usage in conversations: used when talking about visiting or returning to the family home, or describing upbringing.
  • Connotations: can imply nostalgia, familial obligation, or a sense of origin.

Etymology

実 じつ on’yomi; 家 いえ kun’yomi; combined they form 実家, a compound meaning the real/home of one’s upbringing.

Composition

  • 実: real, true, fruit
  • 家: house, home, family
  • 합성: 実家 refers to the family home as the real/home of one’s upbringing

Usage

Used in casual and polite speech to refer to one’s parental home. It is commonly used with verbs like 帰る to indicate going back to the family residence, and it contrasts with 自宅 when speaking about one’s own home; appropriate in discussions of childhood, family visits, and hometown context.
💡 Tips
Mnemonic: imagine a door labeled 実 (real) opening into a cozy family home to remember that 実家 is the real home of your upbringing.

Variations

  • 生家 (なまいえ) — natal home
  • 親の家 (おやのいえ) — parents’ home
  • 自宅 (じたく) — one’s own home; used to contrast with 実家

Example Phrases

  • 今日は 実家に 寄って 母に 近況を 報告して 帰る。
    Kyou wa jikka ni yotte haha ni kinkyou o houkoku shite kaeru.
    Today I will stop by my parents’ home to update my mother and return.
    Lista:
    • 今日は (kyou wa) – today
    • 実家に (jikka ni) – to my parents' home
    • 寄って (yotte) – stop by
    • 母に (haha ni) – to mom
    • 近況を (kinkyou o) – updates
    • 報告して (houkoku shite) – report
    • 帰る (kaeru) – return
    「実家」 significa a casa dos pais; aqui indica a visita à casa da família, não a própria casa do falante.
実家