家族

• Reading: かぞく
• Romaji: kazoku
• Kanji breakdown: 家 (ka/ie) — house, home; 族 (zoku) — tribe, clan
• Pronunciation: /ka.zo.kɯ/

Meaning

Family. Refers to one's own family as a unit.

Used when talking about your own family to others. The polite form ご家族 (go-kazoku) is used when referring to someone else's family. This is one of the first words taught in JLPT N5 because family is a core conversation topic.

Examples

1. 私の家族は四人です。 My family has four people.
2. 家族と一緒に晩ご飯を食べます。 I eat dinner together with my family.
3. 週末は家族で公園に行きました。 On the weekend, I went to the park with my family.

Usage Guide

Context: self-introduction, daily life, conversations about home

Tone: neutral

Origin & History

Composed of 家 (ie/ka, 'house/home') and 族 (zoku, 'tribe/clan'). Together they mean the group of people belonging to one household.

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal