English–Japanese

“ancestor” in Japanese

Japanese

Also祖先 (sosen)

Pronunciation

Romajisenzo

Example

私の先祖はこの村に住んでいました。watashi no sen zo wa ko no mura ni su n de i ma shi ta

My ancestors lived in this village.

Illustration for 先祖 (ancestor)

How to say “ancestor” in Japanese

“Ancestor” in Japanese is 先祖 (senzo).

Points to those who came before a person in the family line and connect the present family with its past.

Full entry for 先祖: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with 先祖

家族で先祖の墓を訪ねました。ka zoku de sen zo no haka o tazu ne ma shi ta

My family visited our ancestors' graves.

Tips for using 先祖

  • The phrase 先祖代々 (senzo daidai) describes something passed down through generations and often appears with family traditions or property.

Other Japanese words for “ancestor”

昔、私たちの祖先はこの村に住んでいました。mukashi watashi ta chi no so sen wa ko no mura ni su n de i ma shi ta

Long ago, our ancestors lived in this village.

“ancestor” in other languages