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"Zoku", what is the meaning of this word for you?

veerle

後輩
4 May 2012
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Hi!

I have a question for the Japenese people, or those who have been living there for a while and speak fluent Japanese. I work for a concept development agency for new hotel concepts, and we found the Japanese word "Zoku" to be a nice name for one of our new concept. We understood from a Japanese teacher that it means "Clan", "Tribe", or "Family", but she said it had a negative meaning for her as well.
I was wondering, what do you feel when you hear the word "Zoku" (positive or negative connection)?
Hope some people can help me! Very much appreciate it in advance!
 
I must say that I am not fluent at all in Japanese.
But what I know is that zoku can mean several things : bandit as in kai-zoku 海賊 (pirate, sea bandit) or sen-zoku 山賊 (brigand).
But there is also zoku that means as you said, clan, tribe : as in ka-zoku 家族 (family) or ki-zoku 貴族 (noble).
As far as I am concerned, I don't feel this word as a very positive one. Anyway, I'm waiting for someone more skilled than me to answer your question.
 
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Thank you so much for your reply! its ok that you are not fluent, any response is valuable to me :)
 
Indeed, 族[zoku] is used in compound words 民族[minzoku], 家族[kazoku], 種族[shuzoku], etc., and has those meanings in these words, but it's usually never used as a single word "zoku". A single kanji word 族[zoku] is a slang for 暴走族[bousouzoku] "motorcycle gang", so the "zoku" hotel sounds like a yakuza hotel to me. 😌
 
Thank you! i really appreciate your help! guess i will have to look for a new word then:) or a combination of positive words to put with the single "zoku" word
 
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