# 邻居，邻家



## yuechu

大家好！

I just learnt the word 邻家 on a TV show. Are the words 邻居 and 邻家 different in Chinese? (For example, does one mean "neighbour" and the other mean "next-door neighbour"?) I'm a bit confused because 邻家 seems to mean "next-door neighbour", but 邻居 also means "next door".
Thanks!


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## ovaltine888

actually 邻家 does not necessarily refer to a real neighbour, but someone who is down-to-earth like a neighbour.


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## yuechu

Oh, that changes things then. Thanks, Ovaltine888! 

EDIT: Would it possible to say something like "这个邻家的人是我邻居"? (This down-to-earth person is my neighbour), or is that 别扭 in Chinese？


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## Lamb67

_Jia _is more line with " household" whereas _ju _ with" be located at, to live"

You are overlapping them in #3.

_lin jia_ _da nan hai, would be translated as the big boy next door and often used for film stars._


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## gonecar

yuechu said:


> 大家好！
> 
> I just learnt the word 邻家 on a TV show. Are the words 邻居 and 邻家 different in Chinese? (For example, does one mean "neighbour" and the other mean "next-door neighbour"?) I'm a bit confused because 邻家 seems to mean "next-door neighbour", but 邻居 also means "next door".
> Thanks!


If you live in an apartment building, your apartment probably has only one front door, and your neighbor on either side could be said to be your 邻家 or 邻居.

邻家 highlights the neighbor who lives "next-door", but 邻居 can also get the job done. 

邻居 has a wider meaning, you can call your next door 邻居, and the next " next door" 邻居 as well.


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## retrogradedwithwind

1，邻，就是相邻的意思。只要合逻辑，什么都可以“相邻”，如  
邻居 邻家 邻房 邻屋 邻村 邻镇 邻县 邻市 邻省 邻国 邻邦 etc.
邻山 邻水 邻湖 邻海 邻河 etc.
邻花 邻树 邻草 邻竹 etc.

2，邻居和邻家
我个人认为，这两个词的区别就是 家和居 的区别，并且，很大程度上是 语感 的区别。

家是home，居是live。家主要是名词，但也未必不能用作动词；居可名可动。

语感这东西，没法说，只能多读。


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## albert_laosong

邻家 is not a word you see in everyday conversations or writings, at least I can't think of one modern setting where we would use that word(BTW, could you give the context from the show so we can be clear in what situation this term was used?).

I think it only appears in ancient literature. for example, a sentence from a poem or something comes to mind:  邻家有女初长成。


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## ovaltine888

身为一国总统，他说话没有一点架子，就像一个邻家大叔。


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## 切克闹

yuechu said:


> 大家好！
> 
> I just learnt the word 邻家 on a TV show. Are the words 邻居 and 邻家 different in Chinese? (For example, does one mean "neighbour" and the other mean "next-door neighbour"?) I'm a bit confused because 邻家 seems to mean "next-door neighbour", but 邻居 also means "next door".
> Thanks!


你好，我觉得邻家更有人情味，更加有感情。而且两个词的用法不一样。
我们会说
她是我的*邻居*。✓（相当于She is my neighbor.）
而不会说
她是我的*邻家*。*×*

*邻家*更像一个修饰词，例如*“邻家女孩”*
我们会用“邻家女孩”形容纯真，可爱的女孩子。


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## albert_laosong

Yes, 邻家女孩 would be very appropriate and common, partly because, I think, 邻家 sounds literary and elegant, so it would be a good match for 女孩. While 大叔 would look a bit odd when put together with 邻家, but of course it doesn't stop the term being absolutely okay in specific context because really I can' think of a better phrase when I want to mention a tough looking but nice and even gentle guy who lives next door. 

Anyway I still don't think 邻家 is a everyday word, at least not in spoken langague to convey a common meaning. It's more used to modify another word to convey a specific feel that the very ordinary word "邻居“ cannot.

By the way, 邻家女孩，邻家妹子，邻家小妹 or even 邻家大叔，all convey a special feeling of familarity and affection because they are nice and lovely people you are fond of and see every day.


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## yuechu

albert_laosong said:


> 邻家 is not a word you see in everyday conversations or writings, at least I can't think of one modern setting where we would use that word(BTW, could you give the context from the show so we can be clear in what situation this term was used?).
> 
> I think it only appears in ancient literature. for example, a sentence from a poem or something comes to mind: 邻家有女初长成。


OK, good to know! Unfortunately, I forget the context though...



切克闹 said:


> 你好，我觉得邻家更有人情味，更加有感情。而且两个词的用法不一样。
> 我们会说
> 她是我的*邻居*。✓（相当于She is my neighbor.）
> 而不会说
> 她是我的*邻家*。*×*
> 
> *邻家*更像一个修饰词，例如*“邻家女孩”*
> 我们会用“邻家女孩”形容纯真，可爱的女孩子。


Thanks for the info, 切克闹！

Thanks, everyone, for your help!


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## albert_laosong

I just thought of something interesting, I think more people would say 邻居大妈 instead of 邻家大妈.

For one thing, 邻家 and 大妈 just don't seem to belong together. Then 邻家大叔 is ok because it can convey something that's novel and a bit romantic so can be used in a good story, but certainly it's not there with 邻家大妈. I'm not sure if you guys will agree with me there.


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## retrogradedwithwind

albert_laosong said:


> I still don't think 邻家 is a everyday word


What you think perhaps is not what others think. Some people indeed use 邻家 as a everyday word.
http://bcc.blcu.edu.cn/zh/search/0/邻家


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## yuechu

Here is some additional information from a 网友:

"我的鄰居男友" 是住在隔壁或近鄰的男友, 是我的男友。然而, "丈夫毆打鄰家男友" 是丈夫打了鄰居人家的男友, 是別人的男友。"鄰居父母" 到底是誰的父母?  我的, 還是別人的?  "鄰家父母" (鄰居人家的父母) 就無歧義。
鄰家 = (1) adjective: 隔壁或近鄰人家的 (e.g., 鄰家男友, 鄰家孩子); (2) adjective: 平易近人, 真實可信, 就像是隔壁鄰居般的 (e.g., 鄰家大叔, 鄰家女孩);(3) noun: 住在隔壁或近鄰的*家庭* (e.g., 鄰家有女初長成); (4) noun: 隔壁或近鄰的住宅、民家 (e.g., *鄰家*失火, 鄰家的燈光)。
鄰居 = (1) adjective: 住在隔壁或近鄰的 (e.g., 我的鄰居男友, 鄰居人家), (2) noun: 住在隔壁或近鄰的*人* (e.g., 好鄰居, 壞鄰居, *鄰居家*失火).


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