clan

/klæn/ (bre, ipa) · /klæn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈklan/ (ame, mw)

clan — 名詞

  • clansingular
  • clansplural

1. a traditional social unit found mostly in Scotland whose members share a common

1.名詞B2
釋義

宗族；氏族

蘇格蘭同姓家族群體

a traditional social unit found mostly in Scotland whose members share a common surname, trace their roots to a shared founder, and answer to a chief

例句

The MacKenzie clan gathers each summer at the old castle for a celebration.

MacKenzie 宗族每年夏天齊聚古城堡舉辦慶祝活動。

clan + singular verb (collective noun pattern)

At the Highland Games you can tell someone's clan by the tartan pattern they wear.

在高地運動會上，你可以從對方穿的格紋看出他屬於哪個氏族。

someone's clan (possessive determiner + clan)

同義詞
  • tribe

    used for non-Scottish traditional groups; broader and more common internationally

  • house

    suggests a noble or royal family line rather than the full clan system

文法句型

clan + of + plural noun

用法筆記

Often capitalized when referring to a specific named clan, e.g., the MacLeod clan. The clan surname is normally the one the chief uses, prefixed by Mac- (meaning 'son of').

常見錯誤

❌The MacDonald clan are all from the same town.
✅The MacDonald clan claims a shared ancestor in the Highlands.
💡Clan implies a genealogical bond, not merely a shared hometown.

2. any extended family that includes many relatives across generations, or a close

2.名詞B2
釋義

家族；社群

大家庭或志同道合群體

any extended family that includes many relatives across generations, or a close community bonded by a particular interest, job, or hobby

例句

The entire Watanabe clan took up three long tables at the wedding banquet.

Watanabe 家族全員在婚宴上坐滿了三張長桌。

entire + clan (emphasising the whole group)

A local clan of knitters gathers every Wednesday afternoon at the library.

當地有一個編織同好會每週三下午在圖書館聚會。

clan of + [activity noun]

同義詞
  • tribe

    informal; suggests a group sharing a strong subculture or lifestyle

  • community

    less emotive; can refer to a looser, location-based or interest-based group

  • family

    narrower in meaning; clan implies a bigger, more extended network

文法句型

clan + of + plural noun

possessive + clan

用法筆記

When used of a family, clan suggests a larger and looser grouping than 'family' — often including cousins, in-laws, and distant relatives. For interest groups, it carries a warm sense of belonging and loyalty.

常見錯誤

❌My clan has only three people.
✅My clan has thirty members spread across four generations.
💡Clan implies a sizeable group, not a nuclear family.