大家庭
dàjiātíng · HSK 7
family
👨👩👧👦🏠 大 big + 家 family + 庭 courtyard = a big family filling the whole courtyard
Each character pulls its weight: 大 means big or great, 家 is family or home, and 庭 is a courtyard or hall. Together they describe a family so large it spills beyond the nuclear unit — grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins all under one roof.
大 — pictograph of a person with arms outstretched
大 is a pictograph showing a person standing with arms and legs spread wide. The outstretched arms suggest 'big' or 'great', extending from the literal image of a large stance to abstract meanings like important or grand. It is one of the oldest characters, found on oracle bones.
家 — roof 宀 + pig 豕
Originally a pictograph of a pig under a roof, since domesticated pigs were kept in or under the home in ancient China. Over time the meaning broadened from 'household' to 'family,' and by extension 'home' or a specialist (as in 专家, 'expert').