The Meaning of kazoku [家族] In Japanese

家族
かぞく
Romaji: kazoku N5

What does 家族 mean?

Translation and Meaning

house + clan, family, household

Definition

What does 家族 mean? 家族 (kazoku) means “family” and denotes the set of people tied by kinship, marriage, adoption, or those regarded as members of one’s household; it conveys both the practical unit who live or share responsibilities together and the social/emotional bonds among those people.

Type

noun (名詞, meishi)

Stroke Order

Meanings

  • 1. The domestic household composition as a unit distinguished from individuals.
  • 2. Kinship network beyond the immediate household (extended relatives) when context implies broader relations.
  • 3. A collective identity or group when the element 族 (zoku) is used as a suffix to label tribes or subcultures (e.g., a group with common traits).
  • 4. A target demographic in media and marketing — used to indicate family-oriented products or services.

Origin

The social concept of family in Japan has deep roots in the premodern ie household system that organized lineage, property, and household authority; during the Meiji period and through legal changes around family registration (koseki), the modern idea of individual civil family units developed further, and postwar reforms shifted Japan toward smaller nuclear households, shaping contemporary uses of the term.

Composition

  • 家 (ie) — house, home, the domestic space or household.
  • 族 (zoku) — clan, tribe, group sharing lineage or characteristics.
  • Together the characters form a compound meaning a household group or clan, combining the idea of a dwelling/house with a lineage or group to express the concept of “family”.

Usage

Used in both casual and formal speech to refer to someone’s family; a polite prefix is often added when speaking about another’s family. It appears in everyday questions about family size or composition, in legal and administrative contexts to indicate registered relatives, and in compounds and advertising to signal family-related themes or services.
💡 Tips
Picture a house (家 (ie)) full of relatives (族 (zoku)) — that image ties the two kanji to the single word 家族 (kazoku).

Variations

  • 家庭 (katei) — home, household
  • 親族 (shinzoku) — relatives, kin
  • 家 (ie) — house, home, household/lineage
  • ファミリー (famirii) — family (loanword, often casual or marketing)
  • 独身 (dokushin) — single, unmarried (contrast/antonym in some contexts)

Example Phrases

  • 現在の所在を調べて家族に連絡した。
    genzai no shozai o shirabete kazoku ni renraku shita.
    I checked my current whereabouts and contacted my family.
    Lista:
    • 現在の (genzai no) – current
    • 所在 (shozai) – location
    • を (wo) – object marker
    • 調べて (shirabete) – checking
    • 家族 (kazoku) – family
    • に (ni) – to
    • 連絡 (renraku) – contact
    • した (shita) – did
    Here, 「所在」 is a noun meaning ‘location’ or ‘whereabouts’ and is used with の to form 現在の所在, meaning ‘current whereabouts’.
  • 試験前に 家族が いつも 私を 支えてくれて 心強い。
    Shiken mae ni kazoku ga itsumo watashi o sasaete kurete kokorozuyoi.
    My family always supports me before the exam, which feels reassuring.
    Lista:
    • 試験前に (shiken mae ni) – before the exam
    • 家族が (kazoku ga) – the family
    • いつも (itsumo) – always
    • 私を (watashi o) – me
    • 支えてくれて (sasaete kurete) – supporting me
    • 心強い (kokorozuyoi) – reassuring
    心強い here describes the feeling of reassurance due to support; it is an i-adjective used at the end to describe the speaker’s feeling. Put 「」around the target word: 「心強い」.
  • 私の 結核の 検査を 受けることに なって 家族が 心配だ。
    Watashi no kekkaku no kensa o ukeru koto ni natte, kazoku ga shinpai da.
    The decision has been made that I will undergo a tuberculosis test, and my family is worried.
    Lista:
    • 私の (watashi no) – my
    • 結核の (kekkaku no) – tuberculosis
    • 検査を (kensa o) – test
    • 受けることに (ukeru koto ni) – to undergo
    • なって (natte) – become
    • 家族が (kazoku ga) – family
    • 心配だ (shinpai da) – worried
    この文でのポイントは、病名を指す名詞として「結核」を使い、検査を受けることになるという予定を表す点です。
  • 家族との 繋がりを 大切に して います。
    kazoku to no tsunagari o taisetsu ni shite imasu
    I am cherishing the bond with my family.
    Lista:
    • 家族との (kazoku to no) – with family
    • 繋がりを (tsunagari o) – bond
    • 大切に (taisetsu ni) – treasure
    • して (shite) – do
    • います (imasu) – am
    A palavra 「繋がり」 funciona como um substantivo que significa ‘bond’ ou ‘conexão’; neste contexto, é usado com 家族との para indicar o vínculo com a família.
  • 来年、扶養家族の手続きは私がします。
    Rainen, fuyou kazoku no tetsuzuki wa watashi ga shimasu.
    Next year, I’ll handle the paperwork for my dependent family.
    Lista:
    • 来年 (rainen) – next year
    • 扶養家族 (fuyou kazoku) – dependent family member
    • の (no) – of
    • 手続き (tetsuzuki) – procedures
    • は (wa) – [topic marker]
    • 私が (watashi ga) – I
    • します (shimasu) – will do
    In this context, 「扶養」 is a noun forming the compound 扶養家族 meaning dependent family; the phrase 扶養家族の手続き = ‘the procedures for a dependent family’.
家族