ancestor, grandparent
On'yomi (音読み)
- ソ
- ゾ
Kun'yomi (訓読み)
- あら.た
- おや
- おやびと
About this kanji
The kanji 祖 means 'ancestor' or 'grandparent' and is commonly used in nouns rather than verbs. You will often see it in words like 祖母 (そぼ), which means 'grandmother,' and 祖父 (そふ), meaning 'grandfather.' Another important compound is 先祖 (せんぞ), meaning 'ancestor,' which refers to those who came before us. Additionally, 祖国 (そこく) means 'native country,' showcasing a connection to one’s roots. When using this kanji, it’s helpful to remember that it relates to familial relationships and heritage, emphasizing the importance of ancestors in Japanese culture.
Built from
Example sentences
祖先を大切にしています。
I cherish my ancestors.
Meanings across languages
- English
- ancestor, grandparent
- Tiếng Việt
- tổ tiên, ông bà
- 日本語
- 祖先, 祖父
- 한국어
- 조상
- 中文
- 祖先
- id
- nenek moyang
- th
- บรรพบุรุษ
- es
- ancestro
- fr
- ancêtre
- de
- Vorfahr
- pt
- ancestral
Common compounds
- 祖母そぼgrandmother
- 祖父そふgrandfather
- 先祖せんぞancestor
- 祖国そこくnative country, homeland
Want to actually learn this kanji?
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