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What is the Kanji for 'Ancestor'? | 祖

If you are wondering what is the Japanese Kanji for 'Ancestor', you've come to the right place!

The Japanese Kanji for 'Ancestor' is 祖.

    kanji

    祖

    Meaning

    Ancestor

    Reading

    onyomiそ

    so

    Parts

    且Moreover, Also 礻Cult (示)

    Example Word

    お祖父さん: grandfather. The Japanese noun 'お祖父さん (おじいさん)' means 'grandfather'. It is a polite and respectful term used to refer to one's own grandfather or someone else's grandfather. This term is commonly used in both formal and informal settings. For example: My grandfather is kind「私のお祖父さんは優しい」(わたしのおじいさんはやさしい). His grandfather lives in Kyoto「彼のお祖父さんは京都に住んでいます」(かれのおじいさんはきょうとにすんでいます). It's important to note that 'お祖父さん' can also be used to refer to elderly men in general, showing respect and politeness.

    Radical

    示

    Stroke Count

    9

    JLPT

    N3

    Grade

    5

    Frequency

    737

    Handwriting

Parts of the Kanji 祖

If you visually break down this kanji, you can see it is made up of 2 parts:

    kanji

    且

    Meaning

    Moreover, Also

    radical

    礻

    Meaning

    Cult

Words Using 祖

This kanji is used in 6 words:

    word

    祖父

    Meaning

    Grandfather

    word

    祖母

    Meaning

    Grandmother

    word

    先祖

    Meaning

    Ancestor

    word

    お祖母さん

    Meaning

    Grandmother

    word

    祖先

    Meaning

    Ancestor

    word

    お祖父さん

    Meaning

    Grandfather

Kanji Related to 祖 Through the Part 且

These 8 kanji contain the part 且 as well.

    kanji

    助

    Meaning

    Help

    kanji

    査

    Meaning

    Investigate

    kanji

    阻

    Meaning

    Hinder, Thwart

    kanji

    組

    Meaning

    Association, Group (of people)

    kanji

    租

    Meaning

    Tariff, Land tax

    kanji

    宜

    Meaning

    Right, Best regards

    kanji

    狙

    Meaning

    Aim

    kanji

    粗

    Meaning

    Coarse, Rough

Kanji Related to 祖 Through the Part 礻

These 11 kanji contain the part 礻 as well.

    kanji

    視

    Meaning

    See, Look

    kanji

    礼

    Meaning

    Bow, Salute

    kanji

    禍

    Meaning

    Calamity

    kanji

    祈

    Meaning

    Pray

    kanji

    福

    Meaning

    Blessing

    kanji

    禅

    Meaning

    Zen

    kanji

    神

    Meaning

    God

    kanji

    祝

    Meaning

    Celebrate

    kanji

    社

    Meaning

    Company

    kanji

    祉

    Meaning

    Blessedness, Welfare

    kanji

    祥

    Meaning

    Auspicious

Learn the Kanji 祖

Let's make sure you fully understand this kanji.

What does 祖 mean?

祖 means 'Ancestor'.

Japanese school students learn this kanji in Fifth Grade, while non-native learners often study it for the JLPT N3 exam.

To help you master this kanji, here's an interactive lesson where you'll practice its readings and meanings.