Back to dictionary
JLPT N114画 · 14 strokesradical 門freq #1072

clique, lineage, pedigree, faction

Also: clan

On'yomi (音読み)

  • バツ

Kun'yomi (訓読み)

Mnemonic

Behind the closed gates (門), a secret clique (閥) gathers, discussing their elite lineage and the power held by their prestigious faction.

About this kanji

The kanji 「閥」 primarily means a clique, lineage, or faction. It is often used in a noun form to describe groups of people who share a common background or interest. Some common compounds include 「派閥」 (はばつ), meaning a clique or faction; 「財閥」 (ざいばつ), which refers to a powerful family-controlled business group, or zaibatsu; and 「軍閥」 (ぐんばつ), denoting a military clique. This kanji can also be found in「閥族」 (ばつぞく), meaning clan. While it doesn’t have a kun'yomi reading, understanding this kanji can help you identify various social structures in Japan.

Example sentences

  • その閥には影響力がある。

    That faction has influence.

Meanings across languages

English
clique, lineage, pedigree, faction, clan
Tiếng Việt
phe phái
日本語
派閥
한국어
파벌
中文
派系
id
kelompok
th
กลุ่ม
es
clique
fr
clique
de
Clique
pt
clique

Common compounds

  • 派閥はばつclique, faction
  • 財閥ざいばつzaibatsu, financial conglomerate, industrial group
  • 学閥がくばつalma mater clique, old school tie
  • 軍閥ぐんばつmilitary clique, military party
  • 閥族ばつぞくclan, clique
  • 藩閥はんばつclanship, clannism, clan favoritism
  • 門閥もんばつlineage, pedigree, good family
  • 閨閥けいばつclan

Want to actually learn this kanji?

The dictionary is one view. The Kanji 360 app wraps every character with mnemonic images, audio readings, stroke-order animation, story context, and SRS scheduling — free to start on iPhone, iPad, and Android.