宗 means “religion, sect”

しゅう · shuu

Also: denomination, main point

Kun'yomi (Japanese reading)

むね

On'yomi (Chinese reading)

シュウ, ソウ

JLPT N1 · Taught in grade 6 · 8 strokes

The story

An altar (示) under a roof (宀): the Shuowen calls 宗 the hall where ancestors are honored. It came to mean a faith and its lineage: 宗教 is religion, and Japanese Buddhism divides into 宗派 such as 浄土宗 and 禅宗.

Used in 宗教 (shuukyou, religion), 宗派 (shuuha, sect/denomination), and 改宗 (kaishuu, religious conversion)

More from Temple & Zen

• 戒 guard against
• 聖 holy
• 浄 pure
• 悟 realize
• 仰 look up
• 僧 monk
• 尼 nun
• 禅 Zen
• 刹 temple

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

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