祖(zǔ)

HSK 69 strokes

surname Zu

Print a 祖 worksheet PDFPractice writing 祖

Stroke order animation

Character information

Pinyin
zǔ
Meaning
surname Zu
Strokes
9
HSK level
HSK 6
Traditional
Same

Origin & structure

Where 祖 comes from and how its parts fit together.

Phonetic-semantic compound⿰礻且

In this compound, the meaning comes from 礻 (spirit); 且 supplies the sound.

One part carries the meaning, the other suggests the sound.

Made of

礻shì且qiě

Parts are arranged left to right.

How to write 祖 step by step

9 strokes — each frame adds one stroke, shown in dark ink over the lighter ones.

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6
  7. 7
  8. 8
  9. 9

Words with 祖

Common words using 祖 — tap any character to open its stroke-order page.

zǔ祖guó国
HSK 6

motherland

Open 祖国 page →
zǔ祖chuán传
HSK 7-9

passed on from ancestors

Open 祖传 page →
zǔ祖xiān先
HSK 7-9

ancestors; forebears

Open 祖先 page →
zǔ祖zōng宗
HSK 7-9

ancestor

Open 祖宗 page →
fó佛zǔ祖

Buddha; founder of a buddhist sect

Open 佛祖 page →
xiān先zǔ祖

(literary) my deceased grandfather; (literary) ancestors

Open 先祖 page →
shū叔zǔ祖

grandfather's younger brother

Open 叔祖 page →
guāng光zōng宗yào耀zǔ祖

to bring honor to one's ancestors

Open 光宗耀祖 page →

Related characters

More HSK 6 characters

丧串乌乳予井亡仓

From 祖’s common words

国传先宗佛叔光耀

Ready to master 祖?

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