族 meaning and stroke order
Race; nationality; ethnicity
How to write 族, stroke by stroke
11 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 族
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- race
- nationality
- ethnicity
- clan
- by extension, social group (e.g. office workers 上班族)
How 族 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. A group of people that swear by 矢 a single flag 方.
Radical: 方 (square), shared by 17 characters on this site.
How to remember 族
Picture 方 (fāng) as a banner on the left and 矢 (shǐ), an arrow, on the right. The etymology hint says a 族 is a group of people who swear loyalty by the arrow under one shared flag, so think of a clan rallying under its banner.
族 (zú) appears in words for ethnic groups and clans, like 民族 (mínzú) and 家族 (jiāzú). In modern speech it is also a suffix for social groups defined by lifestyle, such as 上班族 (shàngbānzú). Example: 我是上班族。(Wǒ shì shàngbānzú.) I am an office worker.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 族 with 旅 (lǚ, travel), which shares the same left side and top piece but has a different bottom right. Remember that 族 has the arrow 矢 at the bottom right.
Common words with 族
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
| Word | Pinyin | Meaning | Level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 民族 | mínzú | nationality; ethnic group | HSK 3 |
| 中华民族 | Zhōnghuá Mínzú | the Chinese nation; the Chinese people (collective reference to all the ethnic groups in C | HSK 3 |
| 上班族 | shàngbānzú | office workers (as social group) | HSK 6 |
| 家族 | jiāzú | family; clan | HSK 7-9 |
| 种族 | zhǒngzú | race; ethnic group | HSK 7-9 |
| 贵族 | guìzú | lord; nobility | HSK 7-9 |
| 族人 | zúrén | clansman; clan members | |
| 种族歧视 | zhǒngzúqíshì | racial discrimination; racism | |
| 族群 | zúqún | ethnic group; community | |
| 一族 | yīzú | social group; subculture | |
| 水族馆 | shuǐzúguǎn | aquarium (open to the public) | |
| 种族主义 | zhǒngzúzhǔyì | racism | |
| 部族 | bùzú | tribe; clan | |
| 皇族 | huángzú | the imperial family; royal kin |
族 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 族
Learning 族 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 族
How many strokes are in 族?
族 is written with 11 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 族 mean?
族 (zú) means race; nationality; ethnicity. A common word with it is 民族 (mínzú), meaning "nationality; ethnic group".
How do you pronounce 族?
族 is pronounced zú, in the second tone (rising).
What is the radical of 族?
The radical of 族 is 方, which carries the idea of "square". Dictionaries list 族 under this radical.
Is 族 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 族 is part of the HSK 3 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard, and you are expected to write it by hand from HSK 3.
What is the difference between 民族 and 种族?
民族 (mínzú) means an ethnic group or nation defined by culture, language and history, like China's 56 民族. 种族 (zhǒngzú) means race in a more biological or physical sense, and appears in terms like 种族歧视 (zhǒngzú qíshì), racism.
Can I make new words with 族 for groups of people?
Yes. Chinese speakers often add 族 to describe a type of person or lifestyle, for example 追星族 (zhuīxīngzú) celebrity fans or 月光族 (yuèguāngzú) people who spend their whole salary each month. These are informal and common in media.