宅

zhái

乇 + 宀

Definitions

zhái (noun) residence; home

zhái (verb) to stay at home

Etymology

Phonosemantic compound. 宀 represents the meaning and 乇 represents the sound.

Semantic: 宀 Phonetic: 乇

About

The character 宅 is a phonosemantic compound composed of the meaning component 宀, a pictograph of a roof that signals a connection to buildings or dwellings, and the phonetic component 乇, which indicates the pronunciation. Its primary meaning is a residence or house. In modern colloquial language, 宅 has also taken on a slang sense describing someone who obsessively stays indoors, especially those absorbed in anime or gaming subcultures, a semantic shift influenced by the Japanese term otaku.

Etymology Hide

Oracle etymology image

Oracle (~1250-1000 BC)

Bronze etymology image

Bronze Early Western Zhou (~1000 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Chu (Warring States: 475-221 BC)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Seal etymology image

Seal Shuowen (~100 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Western Han dynasty (202 BC-9 AD)

Clerical etymology image

Clerical Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 AD)

Traditional Modern

Simplified Modern

Example Sentences Hide

他周末喜欢宅在家。

Tā zhōumò xǐhuan zhái zài jiā.

He likes to stay at home on weekends.

他是个标准的宅男。

Tā shì ge biāozhǔn de zháinán.

He is a typical homebody/otaku.

你不能再这么宅下去了。

Nǐ bùnéng zài zhème zhái xiàqù le.

You can't go on being such a shut-in like this.

她宅在家里看了一整天书。

Tā zhái zài jiālǐ kànle yì zhěng tiān shū.

She stayed in the house reading books all day.

现代住宅设计得很漂亮。

Xiàndài zhùzhái shèjì de hěn piàoliang.

Modern residential buildings are designed very beautifully.

网购让宅生活变得更方便。

Wǎnggòu ràng zhái shēnghuó biàn de gèng fāngbiàn.

Online shopping makes the stay-at-home lifestyle more convenient.

如果明天下雨，我就宅家打游戏。

Rúguǒ míngtiān xiàyǔ, wǒ jiù zháijiā dǎ yóuxì.

If it rains tomorrow, I'll stay home and play video games.

与其宅在家里焦虑，不如出门散散心。

Yǔqí zhái zài jiālǐ jiāolǜ, bùrú chūmén sànsàn xīn.

Rather than staying at home feeling anxious, it's better to go out and relax.

Related Characters

Composed characters:

Component: 乇

Component: 宀

Example Words