1.
ethnic; national; relating to a particular people or ethnic group
Describes something that relates to, or is characteristic of, a particular ethnic group or people. Commonly used in discussions of culture, identity, conflict, and tradition.
民族的な対立が続いている。
Ethnic conflict continues.
その国には民族的多様性がある。
That country has ethnic diversity.
祭りには民族的な衣装を身にまとった人々が集まっていた。
People dressed in ethnic costumes had gathered at the festival.
Composed of 民族 (ethnic group, people) and the suffix 〜的, which forms na-adjectives meaning "related to" or "characteristic of." Used primarily in news, academic writing, and formal discussion rather than casual conversation.
GRAMMAR:
- Before a noun: 民族的な + noun (民族的な問題 — an ethnic problem)
- As a predicate: …は民族的だ (it is ethnic in nature)
- As an adverb: 民族的に + verb (民族的に見て — ethnically speaking)
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 民族的対立: ethnic conflict
- 民族的多様性: ethnic diversity
- 民族的少数派: ethnic minority
- 民族的背景: ethnic background
- 民族的アイデンティティ: ethnic identity
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 民族: (the base noun) ethnic group, people — used as a modifier without 的 in fixed compounds like 民族衣装 (ethnic costume)
- 人種的: racial — emphasizes biological/physical race rather than culture
- 国民的: national — relating to a nation's citizens as a whole, not an ethnic subgroup