祖 (zǔ) - Ancestor, forefather & grandfather

祖Tone 3

zǔ ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical: 礻

志

祖 · zǔ

Ancestor, forefather;

grandfather;

founder, originator;

ancestral, relating to forebears.

Ancestor, forefathergrandfatherfounder, originator

Usage highlights

AncestorGrandfatherAncestral templeAncestral home/hometownFounding ancestorAncestral teachings

Synonyms

  • 祖先— Ancestors, forebears
  • 祖宗— Ancestors, forefathers (collective)
  • 先祖— Ancestors, late forefathers

Antonyms

  • 孙— Grandson, descendant
  • 后— Later, posterior, descendant

Usage & contexts

Examples

  • My grandfather is very kind (我的祖父).
  • We worship our ancestors during Qingming Festival (祭祖).
  • He is considered the founding ancestor of the school (祖师).
  • This temple enshrines the city's founding ancestor (城祖).

Collocations

  • Ancestor(祖先)
  • Grandfather(祖父)
  • Ancestral temple(祖庙)
  • Ancestral home/hometown(祖籍)
  • Founding ancestor(祖师)
  • Ancestral teachings(祖训)

Idioms

  • To bring disgrace upon one's ancestors(辱没祖宗)
  • To return to one's ancestral home(认祖归宗)
  • The ancestor's virtue extends to descendants(祖德流芳)
  • To glorify one's ancestors(光宗耀祖)
  • To forget one's ancestors(数典忘祖)

Cultural background

FAQ
  • In Chinese culture, ancestors are deeply revered, and ancestral worship is a key practice in Confucian filial piety.
  • The character appears in terms related to origins and foundations, reflecting the cultural importance of lineage.
  • Ancestral temples (祖庙) are central to clan identity and rituals in traditional Chinese society.

FAQ