zú
clan; race; nationality
Practice writing with stroke order guidance, audio pronunciation, and interactive exercises in our mobile app.
Step-by-step stroke order animations
Native speaker audio pronunciation
Interactive writing recognition
我来自一个大家族。
wǒ lái zì yī gè dà jiā zú.
I come from a big family.
这个民族有悠久的历史。
zhè gè mín zú yǒu yōu jiǔ de lì shǐ.
This ethnic group has a long history.
他属于哪个种族？
tā shǔ yú nǎ gè zhǒng zú?
What race does he belong to?
宗族 (zōng zú)
clan
家族 (jiā zú)
family
个 (gè)
individual
户 (hù)
household
The Chinese character 族 (zú) for "clan" or "ethnic group" is composed of two parts: 彳 (chì) and ⺮ (rú). 彳 represents a person walking, while ⺮ symbolizes a shelter or roof. Together, they convey the idea of a group of people living together under one roof, hence the meaning of "clan" or "ethnic group".The character 族 first appeared in oracle bone inscriptions during the Shang Dynasty (c. 1600-1046 BC). It was originally used to refer to a group of people who shared the same ancestor or lineage. Over time, the meaning of 族 expanded to include any group of people who shared a common identity, such as an ethnic group or a nation.In modern Chinese, 族 is still used to refer to clans or ethnic groups, but it can also be used in a more general sense to refer to any group of people who share a common characteristic or interest. For example, it can be used to refer to a group of students, a group of workers, or a group of friends.
