What is the main use of 祠?

It primarily denotes an ancestral hall or clan temple for worshipping ancestors, though it can also refer to shrines for deities or revered figures.

Is 祠 common in modern names?

No, it is rare in modern given names due to its strong association with ancestral worship and temples, which may carry an old-fashioned or overly solemn tone.

How is 祠 different from 庙?

祠 often refers to ancestral halls or shrines for clan ancestors or local deities, while 庙 is a broader term for temples, including those for Buddhism, Taoism, or major deities.

祠Tone 2

cí ｜ 9 strokes ｜ radical:

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祠 · cí

ancestral hall;

shrine;

temple for worshiping ancestors or deities

ancestral hallshrinetemple for worshiping ancestors or deities

Usage highlights

ancestral hallfamily shrineclan templetemple for deitiesshrine worshiptemple gate

Synonyms

庙— temple (broader, often for deities or Buddhism)
堂— hall (can refer to a main room or certain types of shrines)

Usage & contexts

Examples

We visited the ancestral hall (祠堂) during the festival.
The family shrine (家祠) contains memorial tablets.
This is a temple dedicated to a local deity (神祠).
They performed rites at the clan temple (宗祠).

Collocations

ancestral hall(祠堂)
family shrine(家祠)
clan temple(宗祠)
temple for deities(神祠)
shrine worship(祠祀)
temple gate(祠门)

Idioms

To establish an ancestral hall(立祠)
To worship at the ancestral hall(祠祭)
To repair the ancestral hall(修祠)

Cultural background

FAQ

祠 refers to buildings for ancestral worship, reflecting the importance of filial piety and clan continuity in Chinese culture.
Such structures were central to clan identity, often housing genealogical records and hosting collective rituals.
The term can also denote temples for local deities or historical figures deemed worthy of veneration.

祠 (cí) - ancestral hall & shrine