在大家庭里，老一輩人的意見受到尊重，小一輩人得到全家的呵護。中國憲法規定贍養父母是成年子女義不容辭的責任。在城市里，不和家里老人一起住的年輕夫婦給老人提供生活費并幫助他們干家務活兒。在農村，盡管大家庭解體了，許多結了婚的兒子和他的家人還和父母住在同一個院子里。對他們來說，分家不過是分灶而已。結了婚的兒子往往把房子蓋在父母家附近，這樣父母和子女互相幫助、探望都和過去一樣方便。
　　In extended families, the older members’ opinions are respected, and the youngest members are loved and taken good care of by all. China’s Constitution stipulates that grown-up 　children are duty-bound to support their parents. In the cities, couples who do not live with their aged parents offer them living allowances and help them with the chores. In the countryside, though quite a number of extended families have dissolved, many married sons and their families continue to live in the same courtyard with their parents. To them, breaking up the 　extended family means only cooking their meals separately. Most often they have their houses built near their parents’ home, making it convenient for parents and children to help and visit 　each other as before.
　　大家庭 extended family
　　憲法 Constitution
　　規定 stipulate
　　義不容辭的責任 duty-bound
　　生活費 living allowance
　　家務活 chore
　　解體 dissolve
　　分家 breaking up the extended family
　　分灶 cook their meals separately