祖 zǔ
preposition
: ancestor; forefather; grandparents
: (Chinese surname)
祖 OR 親 | おや oya
noun
: parent; parents
: dealer (in cards)
: founder
: (pet) owner
祖 | そ so
noun
: ancestor; forefather; progenitor
祖國[国] zu3guo2 : motherland
[祖国 | そこく sokoku: motherland; fatherland; native country]
祖父 zu3fu4: ancestor; father’s father; paternal grandfather
[そふ sofu OR じじ jiji; おじ oji OR じい jii: grandfather]
[祖父さん | じいさん jiisan: grandfather (may be used after name as honorific): male senior-citizen (may be used after name as honorific)]
外祖父 wai4zu3fu4: maternal grandfather [がいそふ gaisofu]
祖母 zu3mu3: father’s mother; paternal grandmother
[そぼ sobo OR うば uba OR おば oba OR ばば baba: grandmother
[祖母さん ばあさん baasan: grandmother: female senior citizen]
外祖母 wai4zu3mu3: maternal grandmother [がいそぼ gaisobo]
祖先 zu3xian1: ancestor; forebears [そせん sosen: ancestor]
祖宗 zu3zong1: ancestor; forebear
[そそう sosou: ancestors]
小祖宗 xiao3 zu3 zong1: brat; little devil
聖[圣]祖 sheng4zu3: divine ancestor; patron saint; Shengzu, temple name of the second Qing emperor, known as the Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722); cf. 康熙
佛祖 fo2zu3: Buddha; founder of a buddhist sect
先祖 xian1zu3: deceased grandfather; ancestry
[せんぞ senzo: ancestor]
叔祖 shu1zu3: grandfather’s younger brother
曾祖 zeng1zu3: great-grandfather (paternal)
曾祖父 zeng1 zu3fu4: paternal great-grandfather
[ひじじ hijiji OR ひいじじ hiijiji OR そうそふ sousofu: great-grandfather]
曾祖母 zeng1 zu3mu3: paternal great-grandmother
[ひばば hihaha OR ひいばば hiibaba OR そうそぼ sousoba: great-grandmother]
Japanese common word | expression | yojijukugo 四字熟語 | idiom
祖先伝来 | そせんでんらい sosen denrai
: (yoji) hereditary
祖先の霊を祭る | そせんのれいをまつる sosen no rei o matsuru
: to perform religious services for the departed souls of one’s ancestors
Chinese common word | expression | chengyu 成語 | idiom
祖祖輩輩 [祖祖辈辈] zu3 zu3 bei4 bei4
: for generations; from generation to generation
光宗耀祖 guang1 zong1 yao4 zu3
: to bring honor to one’s ancestors
榮宗耀祖 [荣宗耀祖] rong2 zong1 yao4 zu3
: to bring honor to one’s ancestors; also written 光宗耀祖
數典忘祖 [数典忘祖] shu3 dian3 wang4 zu3
: to recount history but omit one’s ancestors; to forget one’s roots
形声-R Pictophonetic-Reclarified.
礻 (shi1: spirit; cult radical 113) reclarifies the meaning while
且 (qie3: moreover; also) provides both meaning and sound.
Examples:
祖母の遺灰は寺院に置かれた骨壷に入っている。
そぼのいはいはじいんにおかれたこつつぼにはっている soba no ihai wa jiin ni okareta kotsutsubo ni hatteiru
Grandmother’s ashes are in an urn at the temple.
Resources: Chinese Dictionary | Japanese Dictionary
