眷属

眷屬
juànshǔ
noun #34,394

Meanings

  1. 1 family members
  2. 2 dependents
  3. 3 spouse and family
  4. 4 (literary) loved ones

Examples

Tā bǎ suǒyǒu juànshǔ dōu jiē dào le chéng lǐ.
He brought all his family members into the city.
Yuàn tiānxià yǒuqíngrén zhōng chéng juànshǔ.
May all loving couples in the world finally become husband and wife.

Tips

culture
The set phrase 有情人眷属 ('may lovers become husband and wife in the end') comes from the Yuan-dynasty drama 《西》 (The Romance of the Western Chamber) — it is the standard Chinese wedding blessing, equivalent to 'and they lived happily ever after'. You'll see it on wedding invitations and in toasts.
register
Literary/formal. Everyday speech uses 家属 (jiāshǔ) for 'family members' (e.g. 家属 'family ticket'); 眷属 has a warmer, older, more romantic ring — closer to 'beloved family' than 'dependents'.

Stroke Order

juàn
shǔ