祖 means “ancestor, grandparent”

そ · so

Also: pioneer, founder

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

ソ

JLPT N3 · Taught in grade 5 · 9 strokes

The story

An altar (礻) beside 且, stacked like a memorial tablet: where a family honors those who came before. 祖父 and 祖母 are grandfather and grandmother, and at Obon each summer, families welcome their 先祖, ancestors, home.

Used in 祖父 (sofu, grandfather), 祖母 (sobo, grandmother), and 先祖 (senzo, ancestors)

More from Life & Breath

• 腹 belly
• 眠 sleep
• 活 lively
• 歳 age
• 身 body
• 若 young
• 命 life
• 亡 pass away
• 老 old age
• 抱 hug
• 息 breath
• 吸 inhale

Learn 祖 and more kanji free on Fuji Learning · All kanji

Readings from KANJIDIC2, © EDRDG, CC BY-SA.