What's “KAZOKU”? – Bilingual Lyrics Japanese/English

• By: 櫻坂46
• Album: Lonesome rabbit / What's “KAZOKU”?

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the nuances of Japanese collectivism and the concept of 'Kazoku' (family) through this heartfelt track. By listening to Sakurazaka46, you will learn how the Japanese language uses specific honorifics and emotional vocabulary to describe deep, long-term bonds, making it a perfect starting point for understanding social dynamics in Japan.

[English]

The timing is just too perfect

A sense of words that isn't too heavy

I finally realized it's something else

Tenderness, tenderness, tenderness

Suddenly, I feel it

Annoying when they're around, but a problem if they're not

A troublesome presence, shut up in the room (eh-oh, eh-oh)

Usually, I would just ignore it

But I guess I can't do that (at the limit of my selfishness)

They've been there since the day I was born

We know everything about each other

The good and the bad, we're completely exposed

A relationship like no other

We fight, but we always go back to normal

The moment I open the front door

The presence of someone else feels natural

"I'm home" and "Welcome back" come without thinking

Muttered naturally, it brings a sense of relief

What is family? What's "K-A-Z-O-K-U"?

I thought about it; I can't live without it

It seems invisible, like the air

Two oddballs who are alike in their own way

A perfect sense of distance (neither too close nor too far)

A distance of happiness (a casual relation)

Living under the same roof

Everybody knows, everybody knows, everybody knows

We're living together

Our personalities are nothing alike, and our tastes are totally different

Sharing a life, the meaning of coexistence is (eh-oh, eh-oh)

Part of me wants to leave this place

But for now, not quite yet (let's not do that)

We only talk about "this" and "that"

It's been a while since I've even called them by name

Is it that unspoken connection? We understand without words

Is it like this in other homes too?

I've never compared, but I guess it's the same everywhere, right?

In the middle of the night, opening the fridge

While I'm rummaging through things

"Wanna have some instant ramen?"

Someone asked me, "Thanks"

What is family? What's "K-A-Z-O-K-U"?

Before I knew it, that's what we were called

For some reason, I can't explain it

But I rely on everyone

Even the house next door

Or the house across the street

Everyone is different

But they live together in harmony

I wonder if someday I'll create

A happiness like this, if I'll be able to

What is family? What's "K-A-Z-O-K-U"?

I thought about it; I can't live without it

It seems invisible, like the air

Two oddballs who are alike in their own way

The timing is just too perfect

A sense of words that isn't too heavy

I finally realized it's something else

Tenderness, tenderness, tenderness

Suddenly, I feel it

[Japanese]

絶妙すぎるタイミング

重たくないワードセンス

やっと気づいた something else

Tenderness, tenderness, tenderness

ふいに感じる

いるとウザイし そこにいなきゃ困る

面倒な存在 部屋に引きこもって (eh-oh, eh-oh)

いつもだったら無視してるけど

そうもいかないか（わがままの限界）

生まれた時からそこにいた

お互い 何でも知っている

いいところ 悪いところ全部バレバレの丸裸

他にはない関係

喧嘩もするけど 当たり前に戻ってる

家のドア開けたその瞬間

人の気配が当たり前

「ただいま」も「おかえり」も無意識に

自然につぶやいてる ほっとする

家族って何？What's "K-A-Z-O-K-U"?

考えてみた なくちゃ生きられない

空気のように見えていない

変わり者の 似たもの同士

いい距離のバランス（つかず離れず）

幸せのディスタンス（気軽なリレーション）

同じ屋根の下で

Everybody knows, everybody knows, everybody knows

一緒に暮らしてる

性格 全然似てないし 好き嫌い 全く違う

生活シェアして 共存する意味って (eh-oh, eh-oh)

ここから出て行きたい気もするけど

今はまだまだ（やめておこう）

あれとかこれとかしか言わない

大分名前も呼んでないなあ

阿吽の呼吸ってやつ？ 言わなくてもわかり合える

よその家もそうか？

比較したことないし どこもこういうもんでしょ？

真夜中 冷蔵庫 開けて

色々 物色していたら

インスタントラーメンでも 食べるか？

誰かに聞かれたよ ありがとう

家族って何だ？What's "K-A-Z-O-K-U"?

いつの間にかそう呼ばれていたよ

なぜだか説明できない

誰のことも 頼りにしてる

隣の家だって

向かいの家だって

みんな違うけど

仲良く暮らしてる

いつかこの感じの

幸せ作るのかな できるかな

家族って何？What's "K-A-Z-O-K-U"?

考えてみた なくちゃ生きられない

空気のように見えていない

変わり者の 似たもの同士

絶妙すぎるタイミング

重たくないワードセンス

やっと気づいた something else

Tenderness, tenderness, tenderness

ふいに感じる

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
絶妙 zetsumyou N2	adjective - exquisite, perfect
面倒 mendou N3	adjective/noun - troublesome, nuisance
存在 sonzai N3	noun - existence, being
関係 kankei N4	noun - relationship, connection
無意識 muishiki N2	noun - unconsciousness
家族 kazoku N5	noun - family
空気 kuuki N5	noun - air
共存 kyouzon N1	verb/noun - coexistence
性格 seikaku N4	noun - personality, character
呼吸 kokyuu N3	noun - breathing
比較 hikaku N3	verb/noun - comparison
物色 busshoku N1	verb - looking for, hunting for
説明 setsumei N4	verb/noun - explanation
頼り tayori N3	noun/verb - reliance, dependence
幸せ shiawase N4	adjective/noun - happiness

Key Grammar Structures

• いるとウザイし そこにいなきゃ困る

  ➔ Conditional '～なきゃ' (must/have to)

  ➔ Shortened from 'なければならない', '～なきゃ' expresses necessity. Here it means 'if you aren't there, it's a problem.'

• いつもだったら無視してるけど

  ➔ Hypothetical '～たら' (if/in the case of)

  ➔ Used to describe a hypothetical situation different from the present. 'If it were always (like that), I would ignore it'.

• いいところ 悪いところ全部バレバレの丸裸

  ➔ Reduplicative compound / Adjectival noun usage

  ➔ 'バレバレ' is a colloquial reduplication implying something is 'completely exposed/obvious'.

• なくちゃ生きられない

  ➔ Colloquial negative necessity '～なくちゃ'

  ➔ Short for 'なければならない' (must), used with the negative verb potential form '生きられない' (cannot live).

• つかず離れず

  ➔ Set phrase: Negation used as a noun modifier

  ➔ Combines 'つかない' (not sticking) and '離れない' (not leaving). Describes an ideal, moderate distance in relationships.

• 生活シェアして 共存する意味って

  ➔ Te-form for connective + colloquial topic marker 'って'

  ➔ 'シェアして' connects two actions. 'って' is a colloquial version of 'というものは/は'.

• 言わなくてもわかり合える

  ➔ Compound verb '～合う' (mutual action)

  ➔ 'わかり合える' combines 'わかる' (understand) with '合う' (mutually), meaning 'understand each other'.

• どこもこういうもんでしょ？

  ➔ Assertion '～でしょ' (right?/isn't it?)

  ➔ A rhetorical question marker indicating common knowledge or asking for agreement.