Definition

1. Noun:
   • Extended family: The primary meaning refers to a family structure that includes multiple generations (such as grandparents, parents, and children) or multiple nuclear families (such as married siblings and their children) living together or maintaining a very close-knit unit. It contrasts with the nuclear family ("gia đình nhỏ").
   • Great community / Large family (figurative): Can be used metaphorically to describe a large, close-knit group of people who share strong bonds, such as a company, organization, or community that feels like a family.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Trong đại gia đình tôi, mọi người thường sum họp vào dịp Tết. (In my extended family, everyone usually gathers during the Lunar New Year.)
  • Mô hình đại gia đình ba thế hệ cùng chung sống đang dần thay đổi. (The model of a three-generation extended family living together is gradually changing.)
  • Công ty chúng tôi như một đại gia đình. (Our company is like a great big family.)

Advanced Usage

• The concept of "đại gia đình" often carries cultural connotations of strong intergenerational ties, collective responsibility, and mutual support among relatives, which is a traditional value in Vietnamese society.

Variants and Related Words

• Gia đình hạt nhân (n): Nuclear family (a family unit consisting of parents and their children).
• Gia tộc (n): Clan, lineage (a larger group of people related by blood or marriage, often emphasizing ancestry).

Synonyms

• Extended family
• Kinship group

Related Idioms/Phrases

• Sum họp đại gia đình: The gathering/reunion of the extended family.
  • Lễ cưới là dịp để sum họp đại gia đình. (The wedding is an occasion for the extended family to gather.)

1. Great family (including grandparents)
2. Great community