Japanese word

祖国

Pronunciation

Romajisokoku

Meaning

  • nounhomeland

Example

彼は祖国を愛しています。kare wa so koku o ai shi te i ma su

He loves his homeland.

Illustration for 祖国 (homeland)

More examples

海外で暮らす彼女は、祖国の家族と毎週連絡を取っています。kai gai de ku ra su kano jo wa so koku no ka zoku to mai shū ren raku o to tte i ma su

Although she lives abroad, she keeps in touch with her family in her homeland every week.

Core concept

Describes the country a person feels bound to as a place of belonging and national identity.

Common phrases

  • 祖国を愛するso koku o ai su ru

    love one's homeland

  • 祖国に帰るso koku ni kae ru

    return to one's homeland

  • 祖国を守るso koku o mamo ru

    defend one's homeland

Similar words

母国bokoku: The country associated with a person's birth or national origin.
故国kokoku: A homeland viewed as a place from which someone has departed.
本国hongoku: A person's or organization's own country when contrasted with foreign countries.

Definition in Japanese

自分の国として強い結びつきを感じる国。ji bun no kuni to shi te tsuyo i musu bi tsu ki o kan ji ru kuni

Word origin

The Sino-Japanese compound 祖国 (sokoku) joins 祖 (so, "ancestor") with 国 (koku, "country"), meaning the country connected with one's ancestry.

Usage tips

  • Motherland is an English word with a similar meaning, but it usually sounds more literary or emotionally charged than homeland.

Word lists with this word