宗 zōng — school; sect; purpose; model; ancestor; family
我们要记住祖宗的教导。Wǒ men yào jì zhù zǔ zōng de jiào dǎo.We should remember the teachings of our ancestors.
Common words: 宗教 (zōng jiào)、宗旨 (zōng zhǐ)、正宗 (zhèng zōng)
Meaning Index
Chinese characters meaning "ancestor"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "ancestor", including 宗 (zōng), 祖 (zǔ). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words…
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "ancestor" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 宗 (zōng), 祖 (zǔ) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zōng, zǔ — so confirm the pinyin and tone for each one separately. The example sentences further down show how 宗 and the others are actually used, so you learn them in context rather than as a single translation.
- 宗 zōngschool; sect; purpose; model; ancestor; familyUseful words: 宗教, 宗旨
- 祖 zǔancestor; forefather; grandparentsUseful words: 祖国, 祖先
Common words for these 2 "ancestor" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 宗 (zōng) — so "ancestor" turns into concrete usage instead of a one-to-one translation.
See each character in a sentence
Each character below is shown in a short example sentence with pinyin and an English translation — the quickest way to feel the difference between the 2 ways to say "ancestor".
祖 zǔ — ancestor; forefather; grandparents
我们要热爱自己的祖国。Wǒ men yào rè ài zì jǐ de zǔ guó.We should love our motherland.
Common words: 祖国 (zǔ guó)、祖先 (zǔ xiān)、祖父 (zǔ fù)
All 2 characters
Open 宗、祖 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.