Japanese kanji for house: 家 and how it differs from 宅
The Japanese kanji for house is 家, 10 strokes. It is read as "ie" and "ya" (kun'yomi いえ、や), "ka/ke" (on'yomi カ、ケ). House as a building is 家 (ie), house as a residence politely is お宅 (o-taku), apartment is アパート or マンション. At the top of the character is the "roof" 宀, under it the ancient sign for "pig" 豕.
The character 家 combines building and family: 家族 (kazoku) means "family", 作家 (sakka) means "writer", literally "house maker". In a Japanese house, what matters is not the walls but who and what is inside — the language captures this directly.
How to write the Japanese kanji for house
家 — значение: house, family, clan, master of a craft — онъёми: カ、ケ — кунъёми: いえ、や、うち — 10 штрих(ов). 10 strokes. Click "Show order" — strokes will go as in handwriting.
The "roof" radical 宀
The upper element 宀 means roof and appears in characters related to dwelling and peace: 安 (peace), 客 (guest), 室 (room), 宿 (lodging). If you see this "cap", it almost certainly refers to something that happens under a roof.
Words about house and dwelling
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 家 | ie · ie | House, dwelling |
| 家族 | kazoku · kazoku | Family |
| お宅 | o-taku · o-taku | Your home (polite) (from here also the word "otaku") |
| 家庭 | katei · katei | Home, family life |
| 作家 | sakka · sakka | Writer ("master of the craft") |
| 実家 | jikka · jikka | Parental home |
| マンション | manshon · manshon | Apartment in a concrete building (not "mansion" despite the English root) |
Where the word "otaku" comes from
お宅 (o-taku) is a polite "your home", and also a ceremonious "you". In the 1980s, anime fans addressed each other exactly like that, keeping distance, and the word stuck to them as a label. Today オタク means "fan of something" and is almost neutral.
Write 家 yourself
First the "roof", then everything under it. Trace along the guides.
FAQ
- Which Japanese kanji means house?
- 家 — 10 strokes. Kun'yomi いえ (ie) and や (ya), on'yomi カ (ka) and ケ (ke). It means both "house" and "family, clan".
- How do you say "house" in Japanese?
- 家 (ie) — house as a building and as a dwelling. Politely about someone else's house — お宅 (o-taku). Apartment — アパート or マンション.
- Is it true that "otaku" is related to the word "house"?
- Yes: お宅 means "your home" and the ceremonious "you". Fans in the 1980s addressed each other that way, and the word stuck to them.
- What is the "cap" on top of 家?
- The radical 宀 "roof". It appears in characters related to dwelling and peace: 安 peace, 客 guest, 室 room, 宿 lodging.
Updated: 2026-07-25