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 "family"
Learn Chinese characters with the meaning "family", including 宗 (zōng), 户 (hù). Study pinyin, English meanings, traditional forms, common words, and examples.
How to Study This Meaning Group
The English word "family" covers 2 different Chinese characters — 宗 (zōng), 户 (hù) — and each is its own word with its own feel. These 2 characters do not share a sound — their readings span zōng, hù — 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
- 户 hùa household; door; familyUseful words: 窗户, 客户
Common words for these 2 "family" characters
Anchor each of these 2 characters in a word you can picture — start with 宗 (zōng) — so "family" 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 "family".
户 hù — a household; door; family
这栋楼里住着十几户人家。Zhè dòng lóu lǐ zhù zhe shí jǐ hù rén jiā.A dozen or so households live in this building.
Common words: 窗户 (chuāng hu)、客户 (kè hù)、账户 (zhàng hù)
All 2 characters
Open 宗、户 or any character below to hear it read aloud and see it used in an example sentence.