Japanese Kanji for Family: 家族 — What the Word Consists Of
The Japanese kanji for family is two characters: 家 (house, 10 strokes) and 族 (clan, tribe). Together 家族 (kazoku) means 'family'. The character 家 consists of the 'roof' 宀 and 'pig' 豕: in ancient times, a home was where livestock was kept under a roof. The single kanji is not used to write 'family'.
The Japanese family is written with a pig under a roof — and that's not a joke, but the etymology of the character 家. A home was defined not by walls, but by having livestock under the roof. Three thousand years later, the character remains the same, and the pig has turned into seven strokes that no one recognizes anymore.
How to Write the Japanese Kanji for Family
家 — значение: house, family, clan — онъёми: カ、ケ — кунъёми: いえ、や、うち — 10 штрих(ов). 10 strokes. Click 'Show order' — strokes will appear as if written by hand.
Why 'Family' Is Two Characters
家 by itself means 'house' and 'clan' (in 作家 sakka — writer, literally 'master of the craft'). To get exactly 'family', 族 is added — 'clan, tribe'. 家族 (kazoku) is your family; 家庭 (katei) is the family as a household, daily life.
Family Words
| Japanese | Reading | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 家族 | kazoku · kazoku | Family |
| 家 | ie · ie | House, home |
| 家庭 | katei · katei | Household, family life |
| 両親 | ryōshin · ryōshin | Parents |
| 兄弟 | kyōdai · kyōdai | Brothers and sisters |
| 親 | oya · oya | Parent |
| 子供 | kodomo · kodomo | Child, children |
One's Own Family and Someone Else's Are Called Differently
About one's own family, people speak modestly: 家族 (kazoku), 母 (haha) — my mother. About someone else's — respectfully: ご家族 (go-kazoku), お母さん (okāsan) — your mother. Mixing them up means either elevating yourself or belittling your interlocutor, so pairs of words are learned together at once.
Write 家 Yourself
First the 'roof' 宀, then everything under it. Trace along the guides.
FAQ
- What Japanese kanji means family?
- The word 'family' is written with two characters: 家族 (kazoku). 家 itself means 'house, clan', and 族 means 'tribe, clan'.
- How do you say 'family' in Japanese?
- 家族 (kazoku) — family as people. 家庭 (katei) — family as household and domestic life. For someone else's family, say ご家族 (go-kazoku).
- Is it true that the character for 'house' contains a pig?
- Yes, 家 is composed of the 'roof' 宀 and the ancient character for 'pig' 豕: a home was defined by having livestock under the roof. Today, this element is not read as 'pig' by anyone.
- Why are 'my mom' and 'your mom' different words?
- About one's own, people speak modestly (母 haha), about others' — respectfully (お母さん okāsan). This is a basic rule of Japanese politeness, not different meanings.
Updated: 2026-07-25