家用
jiāyòng · HSK 7
family used
🏠 家用 = 家 (home/family) + 用 (use) → for household use
家 is the family/home morpheme; 用 means to use. Together 家用 labels something meant for home use — household expenses or domestic/consumer goods, as in 家用电器 home appliances.
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').
用 — pictograph of a bucket or wooden pail
用 originally depicted a bucket or container, possibly a sacrificial vessel made of wood. Over time it was borrowed to mean 'to use' or 'employ,' losing its concrete object sense. The modern meaning 'use' has been standard since early classical Chinese.