(しんぞく)

しんぞく
noun
relatives, kin, kinfolk
1. relatives, kin, kinfolk
People related by blood or marriage. A somewhat formal term that encompasses a broader range of family connections than immediate family, including extended relatives such as cousins, aunts, uncles, and in-laws.
親族(しんぞく)(あつ)まった。
The relatives gathered.
結婚式(けっこんしき)には親族(しんぞく)だけを招待(しょうたい)した。
We invited only relatives to the wedding.
(とお)親族(しんぞく)から突然(とつぜん)連絡(れんらく)()(おどろ)いた。
I was surprised to receive a sudden contact from a distant relative.

COMMON COLLOCATIONS:

  • 親族(しんぞく)関係(かんけい): family/kinship relations
  • 親族(しんぞく)一同(いちどう): all the relatives
  • (とお)親族(しんぞく): distant relative
  • (ちか)親族(しんぞく): close relative
  • 親族(しんぞく)会議(かいぎ): family council

SIMILAR WORDS:

  • 親戚(しんせき): relatives (more colloquial and commonly used in daily conversation)
  • 身内(みうち): family, one's own people (informal, includes close associates)
  • 一族(いちぞく): clan, whole family (emphasizes the group as a unit)

USAGE:
親族(しんぞく) is more formal than 親戚(しんせき) and is preferred in legal, official, and ceremonial contexts such as funerals, weddings, and legal documents. In casual conversation, 親戚(しんせき) is more natural.