yǎng jiā: 养家 - To Support a Family, Provide for One's Family

Keywords: yǎng jiā, yang jia, 养家, support a family in Chinese, provide for family Chinese, earn a living Chinese, family responsibility China, Chinese culture family, 养家糊口, breadwinner in Chinese.

Summary: A fundamental concept in Chinese culture, yǎng jiā (养家) means “to support a family” or “provide for one's family.” More than just a financial task, it embodies a deep sense of duty, responsibility, and love that is central to the Chinese family structure. Understanding yǎng jiā offers a key insight into the motivations behind work, career choices, and personal sacrifice in China. This guide explores its cultural weight, modern usage, and practical examples for learners of Mandarin.

Pinyin (with tone marks): yǎng jiā

Part of Speech: Verb-object phrase (functions as a verb)

HSK Level: HSK 4

Concise Definition: To financially support and provide for one's family.

In a Nutshell: “Yǎng jiā” combines 养 (yǎng), meaning “to raise, nurture, or provide for,” with 家 (jiā), meaning “family” or “home.” Together, the term paints a vivid picture of actively nurturing and sustaining one's household. It's the act of working to ensure your family members—children, spouse, and often parents—are cared for. In Chinese culture, the ability to yǎng jiā is a hallmark of adulthood, maturity, and responsibility.

养 (yǎng): This character means “to raise,” “to nurture,” or “to support.” Its ancient form depicts feeding a sheep (羊), symbolizing nourishment and caretaking. This extends from raising livestock to raising children and supporting a family.

家 (jiā): This character means “family” or “home.” The top part is a roof (宀), and the bottom part originally depicted a pig (豕). In ancient China, having a pig under your roof was a sign of a stable, well-provisioned household.

Combined Meaning: The two characters literally mean “to nurture the home.” This beautiful combination conveys a meaning far deeper than just “earning money.” It implies a holistic responsibility for the well-being and sustenance of the family unit.

A Sacred Duty: In traditional Chinese society, heavily influenced by Confucian values, `yǎng jiā` is not just a choice but a fundamental duty. It is deeply connected to filial piety (孝顺, xiàoshùn), where children have a lifelong responsibility to care for their parents, just as their parents cared for them. For centuries, this was primarily the son's role, and a man's social standing was often measured by his ability to provide for both his parents and his own wife and children.

Comparison to Western “Breadwinner”: While “being the breadwinner” is a similar concept in Western cultures, `yǎng jiā` carries a heavier weight of collective responsibility and moral obligation. Being a “breadwinner” often emphasizes individual success and the act of earning an income. In contrast, `yǎng jiā` emphasizes the outcome of that work: the stability and well-being of the entire family unit, including multiple generations. The pressure to `yǎng jiā` successfully is not just personal but social; it affects the entire family's “face” (面子, miànzi).

Modern Evolution: While the core value remains, the practice has evolved. In modern China, it's increasingly common for both husband and wife to work and contribute to `yǎng jiā`. The responsibility is becoming more shared, but the underlying cultural expectation to provide for one's family remains a powerful motivating force for both men and women.

In Daily Conversation: `Yǎng jiā` is a common topic when discussing jobs, salaries, and life pressures. A person might say they work long hours “为了养家 (wèile yǎng jiā)“—”for the sake of supporting my family.”

Motivation for Career Choices: It's frequently cited as the primary reason for choosing a stable, high-paying job over a passion project. The need to `yǎng jiā` often takes precedence over personal fulfillment.

Connotation: The term carries a strong positive and respectable connotation. It signifies maturity, reliability, and selflessness. Someone who works hard to `yǎng jiā` is seen as a responsible and admirable person.

Formality: It is a standard term that can be used in both very formal contexts (like a report on social economics) and very informal ones (like complaining to a friend about work pressure).

“Support a family” vs. “Raise a family”: In English, “raising a family” often focuses on the parenting and emotional aspects of bringing up children. `Yǎng jiā` is much more focused on the financial and material provision required to sustain the household. While you need to `yǎng jiā` in order to raise children (养孩子, yǎng háizi), the two terms are not interchangeable. `Yǎng jiā` is the economic foundation upon which the family is built and raised.

养家糊口 (yǎng jiā hú kǒu) - A four-character idiom meaning “to support one's family and feed them.” It often implies working just to get by.

赚钱 (zhuàn qián) - To earn money. This is the direct action one takes in order to `yǎng jiā`.

责任 (zé rèn) - Responsibility; duty. `Yǎng jiā` is considered a core `zérèn` in Chinese culture.

孝顺 (xiào shùn) - Filial piety. The Confucian value of respecting and caring for one's parents, which is a key driver behind the duty to `yǎng jiā`.

顶梁柱 (dǐng liáng zhù) - Literally “pillar supporting the roof beam.” A metaphor for the main financial provider or mainstay of the family; the person who `yǎng jiā`.

负担 (fù dān) - A burden; load. While `yǎng jiā` is a noble responsibility, the financial pressure can also be described as a heavy `fùdān`.

家庭 (jiā tíng) - Family; household. This is the social unit that is the object of the action `yǎng jiā`.

打工 (dǎ gōng) - To work (often in a manual or temporary job). Many people `dǎ gōng` specifically for the purpose of `yǎng jiā`.