‘种族’ (zǔ zhǒng) literally combines ‘种’ (zhǒng), meaning ‘kind’ or ‘type’, and ‘族’ (zú), meaning ‘clan’, ‘tribe’, or ‘ethnic group’. Together, it refers to a large human population sharing common cultural, linguistic, historical, or ancestral traits — not biological race in the Western scientific sense. In Chinese usage, it emphasizes shared heritage and social identity rather than physical characteristics.

The term is commonly used in discussions of multiculturalism, social policy, history, and anthropology — for example, when describing China’s 56 officially recognized ethnic groups (如汉族、维吾尔族、藏族). It appears in formal contexts like news reports, textbooks, and government documents, but rarely in casual speech. While sometimes translated as ‘race’, it carries less biological connotation and more sociocultural weight than the English word ‘race’ — making ‘ethnic group’ the most accurate everyday equivalent.