家柄(いえがら)

家柄(いえがら) refers to the social standing, reputation, and heritage of a family. It is often considered in the context of marriage and social class in Japan.

Forms

家(いえ) (house/family) + 柄(がら) (pattern/character). The suffix ～柄(がら) indicates the inherent character or nature of something.

Common collocations

• 家柄(いえがら)がいい: of good family, well-bred
• 家柄(いえがら)を気(き)にする: to care about family background
• 家柄(いえがら)を重(おも)んじる: to value family lineage

SIMILAR WORDS WITH ～柄(がら):

• 人柄(ひとがら): personality, character (of a person)
• 土地柄(とちがら): character of a place, local customs
• 国柄(くにがら): national character

Cultural note

While 家柄(いえがら) remains relevant in some traditional contexts (especially marriage), its importance has diminished in modern Japanese society. It comes up most often when discussing 結婚(けっこん) (marriage) and 見合(みあ)い (arranged meetings for marriage).