族 (zú) is a Chinese character meaning “clan”. It is written from 方 (square; direction (Kangxi radical 70)) and 𠂉 (top stroke form) and 矢 (arrow), side by side, and takes 11 strokes.
Build the character for “clan; ethnic group”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
方 + 𠂉 + 矢
Left–right structure
- 方 square; direction (Kangxi radical 70) · fāng meaning
- 𠂉 top stroke form meaning
- 矢 arrow · shǐ meaning
Structure from: 说文解字: 族，矢鋒也。束之族族也。从㫃从矢。Modern form split as 方 + 𠂉 + 矢, checked against hanzi-writer-data stroke geometry
Memory aid
A flagpole (方) with its streamer (𠂉) flying, and an arrow (矢) gathered beneath it. People who rally under the same banner form one group — a clan.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
11 strokes
In real words
- 民族mín zúethnic group; nation族 = zú
- 家族jiā zúfamily; clan族 = zú
- 氏族shì zúclan族 = zú
Go deeper
All readings
clan; ethnic group
clan; family line; ethnic group; a class of things sharing a common trait
有血缘关系的家族或同一来源的人群；也指具有共同特点的一类人或事物。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 民族mín zúethnic group; nation族 = zú
- 家族jiā zúfamily; clan族 = zú
- 氏族shì zúclan族 = zú
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 族 mean?
族 (zú) means clan; family line; ethnic group; a class of things sharing a common trait.
How do you pronounce 族?
It is pronounced zú.
What parts is 族 made of?
方 (square; direction (Kangxi radical 70)) and 𠂉 (top stroke form) and 矢 (arrow), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字: 族，矢鋒也。束之族族也。从㫃从矢。Modern form split as 方 + 𠂉 + 矢, checked against hanzi-writer-data stroke geometry. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 族 have?
11. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 族?
方. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 族?
Common ones are 民族, 家族, 氏族. The reading of 族 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.