族 zú clan
clan; race; social group
How to remember 族: 方 direction + 𠂉 clouds + 矢 arrow = clan. At the summer fair the old man checks the wind's direction, waits for the clouds to pass, then shoots an arrow high, and his whole clan cheers.
Component breakdown
族 = 方 direction + 𠂉 clouds + 矢 arrow
- 方 direction
- 𠂉 clouds
- 矢 arrow
At the summer fair the old man checks the wind's direction, waits for the clouds to pass, then shoots an arrow high, and his whole clan cheers.
How it came to be
A banner streaming from its pole, with an arrow under it. The flag says which side, the arrow says who is armed: a clan was the men who gathered under one flag.
How it is used
- 'Clan, ethnic group, category'. Core: 民族 (mínzú) ethnic group, 家族 (jiāzú) an extended clan, 种族 (zhǒngzú) race.
- In modern slang it labels social groups: 上班族 (shàngbānzú) office workers, 追星族 (zhuīxīngzú) fans/groupies - 族 = 'the ... crowd'.
- 贵族 (guìzú) = nobility/aristocrat.
Characters built with 族
Words with 族
Example sentences
- 她是少数民族。 Tā shì shǎoshù mínzú.She is an ethnic minority.