貴族
kizoku[kʲizo̞kɯ̟]
The English word "nobility" is translated into Japanese as 貴族 (kizoku).
While 貴族 can refer to the abstract concept of nobility, it is most commonly used to refer to the people belonging to the noble class (aristocrats).
Meaning: noble or privileged social class (noun)
What does it mean word for word?
The word is composed of the kanji 貴 (noble/precious) and 族 (tribe/family/clan).
How do you pronounce it?
kizoku
Did you know?
- The word 貴族 was coined in the late 1860s by the influential thinker Fukuzawa Yukichi. It was created to translate Western concepts of aristocracy into Japanese during the Meiji Restoration.
- The character 族 (zoku) in 貴族 is also used in modern Japanese slang to categorize youth subcultures, such as the 暴走族 (bōsōzoku) or biker gangs.
- Japan officially abolished its hereditary peerage system, known as the 華族 (kazoku), after World War II. While 貴族 is the general term for nobility, 華族 was the specific legal status for the Japanese elite.
Examples in context
- 爵位があるから、貴族だというわけにはいかないんだぜ。爵位が無くても、天爵というものを持っている立派な貴族のひともあるし、おれたちのように爵位だけは持っていても、貴族どころか、賤民にちかいのもいる。It's not because you have a title, that you're a noble. There are people who have a natural nobility and are fine nobles. People like us who only have nobility titles are not nobles, we're more like peasants.This sentence is useful for distinguishing between those who hold formal titles and those who possess a natural sense of nobility in the form of 貴族.Tatoeba #1241271 by Scott, translation #1246406 by Scott
- 彼女はとても優雅で、まさに貴族のお嬢様だ。She is incredibly elegant, truly like a noble's daughter.
- 彼はかつて貴族だったそうです。Kare wa katsute kizoku datta sou desu.I heard he was once a member of the nobility.
- この物語には貴族が登場します。Kono monogatari ni wa kizoku ga toujou shimasu.Nobility appears in this story.
Example conversation
Hime and Ren are discussing a historical movie.
- 陽葵 Himariこの映画の貴族はとても豪華ですね。Kono eiga no kizoku wa totemo gōka desu ne.The nobility in this movie are very lavish, aren't they?
- 蓮 Ren本当だね。服がすごく華やかだ。Hontō da ne. Fuku ga sugoku hanayaka da.You're right. Their clothes are very gorgeous.
- 陽葵 Himari当時の貴族の生活に興味があります。Tōji no kizoku no seikatsu ni kyōmi ga arimasu.I am interested in the life of the nobility at that time.
- 蓮 Ren僕も気になるし、もっと調べよう。Boku mo ki ni naru shi, motto shirabeyō.I'm curious too, let's look into it more.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “nobility” translations and entries 貴族, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 貴族, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
