bānjiā: 搬家 - To Move House, To Relocate

• Keywords: banjia, 搬家, ban jia, move house Chinese, how to say move in Chinese, relocating in China, Chinese moving company, Chinese housewarming, HSK 2 vocabulary.
• Summary: Learn how to say “move house” in Mandarin Chinese with the essential term 搬家 (bānjiā). This guide provides a comprehensive breakdown of its meaning, cultural significance, and practical usage. Discover how 搬家 is more than just a logistical task in China—it's a culturally important event involving auspicious dates and housewarming celebrations. Perfect for beginners, this entry includes 10 example sentences, common mistakes to avoid, and related vocabulary for anyone living in or learning about China.

• Pinyin (with tone marks): bānjiā
• Part of Speech: Verb-object compound (functions as a verb)
• HSK Level: HSK 2
• Concise Definition: To move one's residence; to change houses.
• In a Nutshell: 搬家 (bānjiā) is the most common and direct way to say you are moving from one home to another. It's a fundamental word for daily life in China. It literally combines the action of “moving something” (搬) with the concept of “home” (家), making it a very logical and easy-to-remember term for learners.

• 搬 (bān): This character means “to move,” “to carry,” or “to transport.” The radical on the left, 扌, is the “hand radical,” indicating an action performed with the hands. The right side provides the phonetic component. You use 搬 to move physical objects.
• 家 (jiā): This character means “home,” “house,” or “family.” The top radical, 宀, is the “roof radical.” The component below, 豕 (shǐ), originally depicted a pig. So, the character pictographically represents a pig under a roof—a symbol of domesticity and a settled home in ancient China.

Together, 搬 (move) + 家 (home) creates the very clear and literal meaning: “to move one's home.”

Moving house in China is often treated as a more significant event than in many Western cultures. It's not just about logistics; it's about ensuring a prosperous and happy future in the new location.

• Auspicious Dates (吉日 - jírì): Traditionally, many Chinese families will consult an almanac (通书 - tōngshū) or a Feng Shui (风水 - fēngshuǐ) expert to select an auspicious date and time for the move. Moving on the “right” day is believed to bring good fortune, health, and happiness, while moving on an inauspicious day could bring bad luck.
• Housewarming (乔迁之喜 - qiáoqiān zhī xǐ): A housewarming party is a very important tradition. The goal is to fill the new home with 人气 (rénqì), which literally means “human energy” or “liveliness.” A bustling, noisy party with lots of friends and family is thought to scare away any lonely or bad spirits and establish the home as a place of warmth and happiness. Guests often bring red envelopes (红包 - hóngbāo) or practical gifts for the new home.
• Comparison to the West: While a Westerner might see moving as primarily a stressful, physical chore, the traditional Chinese perspective adds a layer of ritual and communal celebration. The emphasis is on starting the next chapter of life on the right foot, surrounded by positive energy and the support of one's social circle.

搬家 (bānjiā) is a high-frequency, everyday term.

• Hiring Help: If you need to hire movers, you look for a 搬家公司 (bānjiā gōngsī), or “moving company.” You can tell someone: “我得找个搬家公司。(Wǒ děi zhǎo ge bānjiā gōngsī.)” - “I need to find a moving company.”
• Informal Situations: It's very common to ask friends for help. You might say: “我下周六搬家，你能来帮忙吗？(Wǒ xià zhōuliù bānjiā, nǐ néng lái bāngmáng ma?)” - “I'm moving next Saturday, can you come help?”
• Social Media: People frequently post updates about their move. A common post might be a picture of boxes with the caption: “终于搬完家了，累死了！(Zhōngyú bān wán jiā le, lèi sǐ le!)” - “Finally finished moving, I'm dead tired!”

The term itself is neutral, but the context determines the emotion—it can be used to express the excitement of a new beginning, the stress of packing, or the sadness of leaving a beloved place.

• Example 1:
  • 我们下个月搬家。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen xià ge yuè bānjiā.
  • English: We are moving house next month.
  • Analysis: A simple, direct statement of future plans. This is the most common way to announce a move.
• Example 2:
  • 你什么时候搬家？我可以来帮忙。
  • Pinyin: Nǐ shénme shíhou bānjiā? Wǒ kěyǐ lái bāngmáng.
  • English: When are you moving? I can come and help.
  • Analysis: A friendly offer of help. `帮忙 (bāngmáng)` means “to help” or “to lend a hand.”
• Example 3:
  • 搬家真是太累了！
  • Pinyin: Bānjiā zhēnshi tài lèi le!
  • English: Moving is so tiring!
  • Analysis: A common complaint. `真是 (zhēnshi)` adds emphasis, similar to “really” or “truly.”
• Example 4:
  • 我昨天刚搬家，家里还很乱。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ zuótiān gāng bānjiā, jiā lǐ hái hěn luàn.
  • English: I just moved yesterday, the house is still very messy.
  • Analysis: `刚 (gāng)` indicates that the action happened very recently. `乱 (luàn)` means messy or chaotic.
• Example 5:
  • 你要搬家去哪里？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ yào bānjiā qù nǎlǐ?
  • English: Where are you moving to?
  • Analysis: A standard question to ask someone who is moving. `去哪里 (qù nǎlǐ)` means “to go where.”
• Example 6:
  • 我需要请一个搬家公司来搬我的家具。
  • Pinyin: Wǒ xūyào qǐng yí ge bānjiā gōngsī lái bān wǒ de jiājù.
  • English: I need to hire a moving company to move my furniture.
  • Analysis: This sentence uses `请 (qǐng)` which means “to invite” or, in this context, “to hire.” Note the use of `搬` by itself to mean “move (an object).”
• Example 7:
  • 祝你搬家顺利！
  • Pinyin: Zhù nǐ bānjiā shùnlì!
  • English: I wish you a smooth move!
  • Analysis: A common well-wish for someone who is about to move. `顺利 (shùnlì)` means smooth or successful.
• Example 8:
  • 因为工作的原因，他不能不搬家。
  • Pinyin: Yīnwèi gōngzuò de yuányīn, tā bùnéng bù bānjiā.
  • English: Due to work reasons, he has no choice but to move.
  • Analysis: The double negative `不能不 (bùnéng bù)` creates the meaning “must” or “have no choice but to.”
• Example 9:
  • 你搬家以后，新地址是什么？
  • Pinyin: Nǐ bānjiā yǐhòu, xīn dìzhǐ shì shénme?
  • English: After you move, what's your new address?
  • Analysis: `以后 (yǐhòu)` means “after.” `新地址 (xīn dìzhǐ)` means “new address.”
• Example 10:
  • 我们打算周末把东西打包好，准备搬家。
  • Pinyin: Wǒmen dǎsuàn zhōumò bǎ dōngxi dǎbāo hǎo, zhǔnbèi bānjiā.
  • English: We plan to pack everything up this weekend to prepare for the move.
  • Analysis: `打包 (dǎbāo)` means “to pack.” The `把 (bǎ)` structure is used here to emphasize the disposal of the object “things” (东西).

The most common mistake for learners is confusing 搬 (bān) and 搬家 (bānjiā).

• 搬 (bān): This is a transitive verb that means “to move an object.” It MUST be followed by what you are moving.
  • Correct: 我想搬这张桌子。(Wǒ xiǎng bān zhè zhāng zhuōzi.) - I want to move this table.
  • Incorrect: 我明天搬。(Wǒ míngtiān bān.) - This sentence is incomplete. It sounds like “I'm moving (something) tomorrow,” leaving the listener wondering, “Moving what?”
• 搬家 (bānjiā): This is a verb-object compound that specifically means “to move one's home.” It functions as a complete intransitive verb.
  • Correct: 我明天搬家。(Wǒ míngtiān bānjiā.) - I am moving house tomorrow.
  • Incorrect: 我搬家我的家具。(Wǒ bānjiā wǒ de jiājù.) - This is redundant and grammatically wrong. It's like saying “I move house my furniture.” You should say: 我搬家的时候，要搬我的家具 (Wǒ bānjiā de shíhou, yào bān wǒ de jiājù) - “When I move house, I need to move my furniture.”

Quick Rule: If you are talking about the event of changing your residence, use 搬家. If you are talking about the action of physically moving a specific item, use 搬.

• 搬家公司 (bānjiā gōngsī) - Moving company; the business you hire to help you move.
• 乔迁 (qiáoqiān) - A more formal and literary term for moving, usually implying moving to a better or bigger home. Often used in congratulations.
• 乔迁之喜 (qiáoqiān zhī xǐ) - Lit. “The joy of moving to a new residence.” This phrase refers to a housewarming party or the happy event of moving itself.
• 新家 (xīnjiā) - New home; new house.
• 打包 (dǎbāo) - To pack; to put things into boxes or bags.
• 房东 (fángdōng) - Landlord (lit. “house owner”).
• 房租 (fángzū) - Rent (for a house or apartment).
• 搬运 (bānyùn) - To transport; to carry. This is a more formal term often used in logistics and shipping, less for personal moving.
• 地址 (dìzhǐ) - Address.
• 顺利 (shùnlì) - Smoothly; successfully. Often used to wish someone a smooth move: `祝你搬家顺利！`