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宗: ancestor; lineage

 

宗 zōng

noun
: school; sect; purpose; model; ancestor; clan; to take as one’s model (in academic or artistic work); measure word for batches, items, cases (medical or legal), reservoirs; (Chinese surname)

Kun Reading

宗 OR 旨 | むね mune

noun
: center; pillar; principle

On Reading

宗 | しゅう shuu

noun
: sect

ソウ sou

 Usage:

宗教 zong1jiao4: religion [しゅうきょう shuukyou: religion]
宗旨 zong1zhi3: objective; aim; goal [しゅうし shuushi: tenets (doctrines) of a religious sect; (religious) sect]
宗派 zong1pai4: sect
[しゅうは shuuha: sect; denomination]
宗族 zong1zu2: clan; clansman
[そうぞく souzoku: one’s family or clan]
宗主 zong1zhu3: head of a clan; natural leader; person of prestige and authority in a domain; suzerain
祖宗 zu3zong1: ancestor; forebear
[そうしゅ soushu: suzerain]

小祖宗 xiao3 zu3 zong1: brat; little devil

密宗 mi4zong1: tantra; Vajrayana; Tantric Buddhism
文宗 wen2zong1: somebody whose calligraphy serves as a model; Wenzong Emperor, reign name of Yuan Dynasty emperor Tugh Temür (1304-1332), reigned 1328-1332
世宗 shi4zong1: Sejong the Great or Sejong Daewang (1397-1450), reigned 1418-1450 as fourth king of Joseon or Chosun dynasty, in whose reign the hangeul alphabet was invented



Chinese expression | chengyu 成語 | idiom
左宗棠雞 [左宗棠鸡] zuo3 zong1 tang2 ji1
: General Tso’s chicken, a deep-fried chicken dish

榮宗耀祖 rong2 zong1 yao4 zu3
OR
光宗耀祖 guang1 zong1 yao4 zu3
: to bring honor to one’s ancestors

萬變不離其宗 wan4 bian4 bu4 li2 qi2 zong1
: many superficial changes but no departure from the original stand; plus ça change, plus ça reste la mème chose

 Etymology:
会意 Associative Compound.
Altar (shi4: spirit radical 113; to show) inside a
building 宀 (mian2: roof radical 40).



 Examples:
馬鹿が移るまえにそのような宗教に関わらんほうがいい。
バカがうつるまえにそのようなしゅうきょうにかかわらんほうがいい
baka ga utsurumae ni sono youna shuukyou ni kakawaran hou ga ii
You should stay away from cults like that before you turn into a moron.

Resources: Chinese Dictionary | Japanese Dictionary