Meaning
族 means a group of people bound together by shared origin, blood, culture, or allegiance. In everyday Japanese, you'll encounter it most in 家族 (family), 民族 (ethnic group), and 貴族 (nobility). At its heart, 族 is about belonging — the ties that turn scattered individuals into a single, coherent group.
族 is an ideographic compound built from two elements. On the left, 方 (hō) originally depicted a banner on a pole — the kind of standard a military clan planted on the battlefield to rally its fighters. On the right, 矢 (ya) means arrow, standing in for armed warriors. Together, the character once pictured clansmen gathering under their own flag: a tribe defined by blood and the weapons they carried. The meaning gradually widened to cover any group sharing a common identity.
That warrior-banner origin traces a clear line through the kanji's modern uses: family (家族), ethnic peoples (民族), royal lineages (皇族), even motorcycle gangs (暴走族). Different groups, one shared idea — you belong to this 族, not that one.
族 has 11 strokes and appears in the Grade 3 Japanese school curriculum — early enough to show how central family and group identity are to daily life in Japan.
Readings
On'yomi (音読み) — Chinese-derived readings
族 has a single on'yomi: ゾク (zoku), borrowed from Middle Chinese. It appears in virtually every compound containing this kanji — from kitchen-table words like 家族 to academic terms like 民族 to pop-culture slang like 暴走族.
- 家族 (kazoku) — family; one's household members
- 民族 (minzoku) — ethnic group, people, nation
- 貴族 (kizoku) — aristocracy, nobility
- 皇族 (kōzoku) — imperial family, members of the royal household
- 部族 (buzoku) — tribe, tribal group
- 一族 (ichizoku) — a whole clan, entire family lineage
Whether 族 leads a compound (族長, zokuchō — clan chief) or follows one (家族, 民族), the reading stays ゾク throughout. No voiced or semi-voiced variants to worry about.
Kun'yomi (訓読み) — Native Japanese readings
族 has no kun'yomi. For such a common kanji, that is a bit unusual. The reason: concepts like "tribe" and "clan" entered Japanese mainly through Chinese-derived vocabulary, so no native reading took root. For learners, this is good news — just one reading, ゾク, and you are done.
Common Words & Compounds
族 turns up across a surprisingly wide range of vocabulary. Here are the most useful compounds, grouped by theme.
Family & Kinship
- 家族 (kazoku) — family; the people living together in one household
- 一族 (ichizoku) — a whole clan; entire family lineage or bloodline
- 親族 (shinzoku) — relatives, kinfolk (more formal than 家族)
- 遺族 (izoku) — bereaved family; relatives of the deceased
Ethnicity, People & Social Groups
- 民族 (minzoku) — ethnic group, people; a nation defined by shared culture
- 部族 (buzoku) — tribe; a traditional community with shared customs
- 種族 (shuzoku) — race, species; used in biology and fantasy contexts
- 遊牧民族 (yūboku minzoku) — nomadic people
Status & Hierarchy
- 貴族 (kizoku) — aristocracy, nobility; the privileged upper class
- 皇族 (kōzoku) — imperial family; members of the emperor's household
- 豪族 (gōzoku) — powerful local clan; a dominant family in ancient Japan
- 族長 (zokuchō) — clan chief, patriarch of a tribe
Modern & Popular Culture
- 暴走族 (bōsōzoku) — motorcycle gang; literally "recklessly running tribe"
- 水族館 (suizokukan) — aquarium; literally "aquatic-creature hall"
- 水族 (suizoku) — aquatic animals, marine life
Example Sentences
わたしの家族は五人います。
Watashi no kazoku wa gonin imasu.
My family has five members.
家族と一緒に夕食を食べます。
Kazoku to issho ni yūshoku wo tabemasu.
I eat dinner together with my family.
日本には様々な民族が暮らしています。
Nihon ni wa samazama na minzoku ga kurashite imasu.
Various ethnic groups live in Japan.
彼女は貴族の出身だそうです。
Kanojo wa kizoku no shusshin da sō desu.
I heard that she comes from a noble family.
遺族の方々にお悔やみを申し上げます。
Izoku no katagata ni o-kuyami wo mōshiagemasu.
I offer my condolences to the bereaved families.
子供たちは水族館でサメを見て興奮しました。
Kodomotachi wa suizokukan de same wo mite kōfun shimashita.
The children got excited seeing sharks at the aquarium.
あの部族は独自の文化と言語を持っています。
Ano buzoku wa dokuji no bunka to gengo wo motte imasu.
That tribe has its own unique culture and language.
皇族の方が式典に出席されました。
Kōzoku no kata ga shikiten ni shusseki saremashita.
A member of the imperial family attended the ceremony.
家族の絆はとても大切だと思います。
Kazoku no kizuna wa totemo taisetsu da to omoimasu.
I think the bonds of family are very important.
Related Kanji
- 弟 — Younger Brother, Junior (Kanji N4)
- 妹 — Younger Sister (Kanji N4)
- 地 — Ground, Earth, Land (Kanji N4)
- 界 — World, Boundary, Circle (Kanji N4)
- 漢 — China, Han Dynasty, Man (Kanji N4)
- 文 — Sentence, Writing, Culture (Kanji N4)
Memory Tip
Picture warriors (矢 — arrows) gathered around a tall banner (方 — flag on a pole) on a battlefield. Every man belongs to the same clan: same flag, same blood, same loyalty. That scene — fighters rallying under one standard — is exactly what 族 first depicted. When you see this kanji, ask yourself: who flies this flag? The whole tribe. The whole family. Everyone in the group. The banner pulls them together. From noble houses (貴族) to ethnic peoples (民族) to fish at the aquarium (水族館), 族 always marks a collective — people (or creatures) with a shared identity.