What does 族 mean in Japanese?
族 means a family, tribe, or group of people bound together. Its number-one word is 家族 (kazoku, family), which pairs 族 with 家 (house) to name the people you live with.
族 is read ゾク in every common word and has no kun’yomi. Beyond family it names larger groups: 民族 (minzoku, an ethnic group), 貴族 (kizoku, the nobility), and even the fun word 水族館 (suizokukan, aquarium). It works like a suffix meaning ‘the -group’, which makes many of its words easy to decode.
Reading
On’yomi: ゾク (zoku)
Kun’yomi: —
Basic Information
| Kanji | 族 |
|---|---|
| Meaning | family, tribe, group |
| Stroke Count | 11 |
| JLPT Level | N4 |
How to Understand This Kanji
族 rarely stands alone; it attaches to another kanji to name a bonded group. 家族 (kazoku) is your immediate family. 親族 (shinzoku) is the wider circle of relatives. 民族 (minzoku) is an ethnic or national people, as in 少数民族 (an ethnic minority). 貴族 (kizoku) is the aristocracy, and 部族 (buzoku) is a tribe. Modern slang even coins 〜族 for social types (for example a subculture). The odd one out is 水族館 (suizokukan, literally water-tribe-hall), the everyday word for an aquarium.
Common Words
- 家族（かぞく / kazoku） — family
- 民族（みんぞく / minzoku） — ethnic group, a people
- 親族（しんぞく / shinzoku） — relatives, kin
- 貴族（きぞく / kizoku） — nobility, aristocrat
- 部族（ぶぞく / buzoku） — tribe
- 水族館（すいぞくかん / suizokukan） — aquarium
Example Sentences
-
週末は家族と水族館に行きました。
しゅうまつはかぞくとすいぞくかんにいきました。 / Shuumatsu wa kazoku to suizokukan ni ikimashita.
On the weekend I went to the aquarium with my family.
-
この国にはたくさんの民族がいます。
このくにはたくさんのみんぞくがいます。 / Kono kuni ni wa takusan no minzoku ga imasu.
There are many ethnic groups in this country.
-
結婚式に親族が集まりました。
けっこんしきにしんぞくがあつまりました。 / Kekkonshiki ni shinzoku ga atsumarimashita.
The relatives gathered for the wedding.
When Learners Usually See This Kanji
Treat 族 as a group-forming suffix: whatever comes before it names the kind of group. This makes 家族, 民族, 部族, and 貴族 fall into place as house-group, people-group, tribe-group, and noble-group.
家族 (kazoku) is your priority word; 親族 (shinzoku) extends it to the full set of relatives beyond the household, useful for weddings and funerals where the whole 親族 gathers.
水族館 (suizokukan) is worth learning as a set word. It looks complex but breaks down neatly: 水 (water) + 族 (group) + 館 (hall), a hall for the water creatures. It is a common day-out destination, so the word comes up often.
Summary
族 means a bonded group and works as a suffix: 家族 (family), 親族 (relatives), 民族 (a people), 貴族 (nobility), 部族 (tribe). Learn the everyday 水族館 (aquarium) as a set word.