Japanese word

先祖

Pronunciation

Romajisenzo

Meaning

  • nounancestor

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)

More examples

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.

Core concept

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

Common phrases

  • 先祖の墓sen zo no haka

    an ancestor's grave

  • 先祖を敬うsen zo o uyama u

    honor one's ancestors

Similar words

祖先sosen: A person from whom a family is descended, often used in formal or written language.
祖so: A formal term for an ancestor, often used in compounds or set expressions.

Definition in Japanese

家系をさかのぼったときの、前の世代に属する人。ka kei o sa ka no bo tta to ki no mae no se dai ni zoku su ru hito

Word origin

先 (sen, "before") + 祖 (so, "ancestor") forms the Sino-Japanese compound 先祖 (senzo, "ancestor"), with so voiced to zo in the compound.

Usage tips

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

Opposites

Word lists with this word