氏族
shìzú
The English word 'clan' can be translated into Chinese using several terms, most commonly 氏族 (shìzú). Wiktionary also lists 家族 (jiāzú) and 一族 (yīzú).
Meaning: group having common ancestor (noun)
Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 氏族 | shìzú |
| 家族 | jiāzú |
| 一族 | yīzú |
Use 家族 when discussing family lineage, family affairs or family businesses. Use 氏族 to describe primitive social structures or tribes in a historical or anthropological context.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 氏族 is composed of 氏 (shì), meaning a surname or lineage and 族 (zú), meaning a group or tribe.
Which one should you use?
氏族 is specifically used in an anthropological or historical sense to describe primitive social structures or tribes. In contrast, 家族 is the preferred term when discussing family heritage, lineage or family business/affairs.
How do you pronounce it?
shìzú
Did you know?
- While 家族 (jiāzú) means 'clan' or 'family', the first character 家 (jiā) depicts a pig under a roof, symbolizing the ancient importance of livestock to the household.
- In modern internet slang, the character 族 (zú) is used as a suffix to categorize people by lifestyle, such as 白领族 (bǎilǐngzú) for 'white-collar workers'.
- Chinese history features 族除 (zúchú), a brutal legal punishment where an entire 'clan' or extended family was executed for the crime of one member.
Examples in context
- 他是一个非常重视家族关系的人，他的宗族历史悠久。He is someone who values family connections greatly, his clan has a long history.
- 他们组成了一个强大的游戏部落，每天都要一起游戏。They have formed a strong gaming clan and play games together every day.
- 这个氏族的历史非常悠久。Zhège shìzú de lìshǐ fēicháng yōujiǔ.The history of this clan is very long.
- 考古学家发现了古代氏族的遗迹。Kǎogǔ xuéjiā fāxiànle gǔdài shìzú de yíjì.Archaeologists found the ruins of an ancient clan.
- 他们属于同一个氏族。Tāmen shǔyú tóng yīgè shìzú.They belong to the same clan.
Example conversation
Two students are discussing a history documentary in the library.
- 伟 Wei这部纪录片讲的是哪个氏族？Zhè bù jìlùpiàn jiǎng de shì nǎge shìzú?Which clan is this documentary about?
- 雨婷 Yuting是一个非常强大的氏族。Shì yīgè fēicháng qiángdà de shìzú.It is a very powerful clan.
- 伟 Wei雨婷，你了解他们的起源吗？Yǔtíng, nǐ liǎojiě tāmen de qǐyuán ma?Yuting, do you know about their origins?
- 雨婷 Yuting我也在研究这个问题。Wǒ yě zài yánjiū zhège wèntí.I am also researching this question.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “clan” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
