祖 zǔ ancestor
ancestor; forefather; grandfather
How to remember 祖: 礻 sign + 且 moreover = ancestor. A small handwritten sign on grandpa's shelf marks the photo of a stern man in uniform, moreover our oldest known ancestor.
Component breakdown
祖 = 礻 sign + 且 moreover
- 礻 sign
- 且 moreover
A small handwritten sign on grandpa's shelf marks the photo of a stern man in uniform, moreover our oldest known ancestor.
How it is used
- Ancestor/grandparent - 祖先 (zǔxiān) ancestors, 祖父 (zǔfù) paternal grandfather, 祖母 (zǔmǔ) paternal grandmother.
- 祖国 (zǔguó) = motherland/homeland - a patriotic, emotive term.
- 祖传 (zǔchuán) = handed down from ancestors (祖传秘方 a family secret recipe); 祖籍 (zǔjí) = ancestral hometown.
- 祖宗 (zǔzong) = forebears/ancestors (collectively, often in reverent or exasperated exclamations).