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皇族 (こうぞく) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Common word Freq. Frequency Top 20,000 Meanings 1
noun
imperial family ; royalty
Refers specifically to members of the Japanese imperial family. In general contexts, it can also mean royalty of other nations, but 王室 is more common for non-Japanese royalty.
皇こう
族ぞく
の
一いち
員いん
と
し
て
生う
まれ
た
。
He was born as a member of the imperial family.
Similar words 王おう 室しつ 王室 refers to a royal family in general, especially non-Japanese monarchies, while 皇族 is specifically the Japanese imperial family.
天皇てんのう 天皇 is the emperor himself, whereas 皇族 refers to the broader imperial family members.
Etymology Compound of 皇 (こう, 'emperor') and 族 (ぞく, 'family, clan'). The term has been used since the Meiji period to refer to members of the imperial household.