祖 (zǔ) is a Chinese character meaning “ancestor”. It is written from 礻 (spirit / altar (radical form of 示)) and 且 (moreover; for the time being), side by side, and takes 9 strokes.
Build the character for “ancestor”
Four steps: break it apart, build it, recall it, use it in a word.
StartLearn this character
Structure
礻 + 且
Left–right structure
Structure from: 说文解字：祖，始廟也。从示且聲。现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（礻4 + 且5 = 9 笔）
Memory aid
礻 on the left is the altar radical — offerings and respect for the spirits. 且 on the right only carries the sound (compare 组 zǔ, 租 zū, 阻 zǔ). The ones you honour at the altar: 祖, your ancestors.
This is a memory aid, not the historical origin.
Stroke order
9 strokes
In real words
- 祖先zǔ xiānancestors; forebears祖 = zǔ
- 祖国zǔ guómotherland; homeland祖 = zǔ
- 彭祖péng zǔPeng Zu, a legendary figure famed for his long life祖 = zǔ
Go deeper
All readings
ancestor
ancestor; forefather; grandparent generation; founder (of a school or craft)
祖先；父母的上一辈；某种事业或流派的开创者。 — studyhanzi 编写
Words with this reading
- 祖先zǔ xiānancestors; forebears祖 = zǔ
- 祖国zǔ guómotherland; homeland祖 = zǔ
- 彭祖péng zǔPeng Zu, a legendary figure famed for his long life祖 = zǔ
Sound component
且 family diverged
Stroke data: hanzi-writer-data (Arphic Public License) · licenses & attributions
Questions people ask about this character
What does 祖 mean?
祖 (zǔ) means ancestor; forefather; grandparent generation; founder (of a school or craft).
How do you pronounce 祖?
It is pronounced zǔ.
What parts is 祖 made of?
礻 (spirit / altar (radical form of 示)) and 且 (moreover; for the time being), side by side. The recorded source is: 说文解字：祖，始廟也。从示且聲。现代字形按 hanzi-writer-data 笔画核验（礻4 + 且5 = 9 笔）. Components are the building blocks of the shape; the radical used for dictionary lookup is a separate thing.
How many strokes does 祖 have?
9. You can watch the stroke order on this page, or trace it yourself.
What is the radical of 祖?
示. The radical is how the character is filed in a dictionary — it is not the whole story of how the character is built.
What words use 祖?
Common ones are 祖先 and 祖国. The reading of 祖 is not the same in every word, so each word on this page shows which reading applies.