実家（じっか、jiっka）
- parents' home

The Japanese word 実家 means "one's parents' home," "one's childhood home," or "the home of one's family." It specifically refers to the home where you grew up, or where your parents (or primary caregivers) currently reside, even if you are no longer living there. It conveys a sense of belonging and nostalgia. Think of it as your family's main residence, the place you consider "home" from a familial and sentimental perspective. 実家 is not necessarily limited to a house; it can also refer to an apartment or any type of dwelling that serves as a family home.

⚫︎夏休みは実家に帰ります。 Translation: I'm going back to my parents' home during the summer vacation. ⚫︎週末は実家に手伝いに行きます。 Translation: I'm going to help out at my parents' home on the weekend. ⚫︎実家の近くに新しいお店ができました。 Translation: A new store opened near my parents' home.

You use 実家 when talking about going back to your parents' home, referring to your family's residence, or discussing events related to your family's home. It's common in conversations about family, holidays, vacations, or helping out with family matters. It's often used when you are away from your family home. You can use it in various contexts such as: ・Visiting your parents. ・Talking about childhood memories. ・Discussing family gatherings. ・Referring to your family's location.

実家 is typically written in kanji as 実家. The reading is じっか in hiragana. There is no other common way to write this word, and the okurigana (the suffix hiragana) is fixed.

There aren't many direct synonyms for 実家, as it refers to a specific place. However, you could use these similar terms depending on the context: ⚫︎家 (いえ) - house, home (more general term). ⚫︎故郷 (ふるさと) - hometown, birthplace (evokes a sense of nostalgia). ⚫︎実家の (じっかの) - the home of one's family (modifies nouns).

There is no direct antonym for 実家, as it represents a specific place. However, you could consider the opposite to be "one's current residence," expressed by words such as: ⚫︎自分の家 (じぶんのいえ) - one's own house/home. ⚫︎アパート - apartment. ⚫︎マンション - condominium.

お正月は実家で家族と過ごします。 ・Translation: I will spend the New Year's holiday with my family at my parents' home. ・Explanation: This sentence uses 実家 to indicate the location of the New Year's celebration with family.

久しぶりに実家に帰って、懐かしい気持ちになりました。 ・Translation: I went back to my parents' home for the first time in a while and felt nostalgic. ・Explanation: This sentence expresses the feeling of nostalgia associated with returning to the family home.

The word 実家 is formed from two kanji: 実 (じつ) meaning "reality," "truth," or "fruit," and 家 (か/いえ) meaning "house" or "home." The combination, 実家, literally translates to "real house" or "true home," reflecting the idea that this is the genuine or original home for a person in the context of their family.