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先祖 (せんぞ, senzo) Japanese meaning: ancestor | Kotomora

先せん祖ぞ

せ

ん

ぞ

Common word›JLPTN3›Freq.FrequencyTop 10,000

Meanings

1

ancestor; forefather; foremother

General term for ancestors, including both male and female forebears. Used in family, historical, and biological contexts.

私わたしの先せん祖ぞは九きゅう州しゅうから来きました

。

My ancestors came from Kyushu.

先せん祖ぞ代だい々だいこの土と地ちに住すんでいます。

We have lived on this land for generations.

Usage patterns

先せん祖ぞを敬うやまうto revere one's ancestors
日本にほんでは先せん祖ぞを敬うやまう習しゅう慣かんが今いまも残のこっている。
In Japan, the custom of revering one's ancestors still remains today.
先せん祖ぞを祀まつるto enshrine/worship one's ancestors
この神じん社じゃでは地ち域いきの先せん祖ぞを祀まつっている。
This shrine enshrines the ancestors of the local community.
先せん祖ぞの墓はか参まいりをするto visit one's ancestors' grave
お盆ぼんには先せん祖ぞの墓はか参まいりをする人ひとが多おおい。
Many people visit their ancestors' graves during the Obon festival.

Kanji

先before, ahead, previous
祖ancestor, pioneer, founder

Related words

祖そ先せんN3
祖先 is a more formal or academic term for ancestors, often used in scientific or historical contexts, while 先祖 is the common everyday word.
元がん祖そ
先祖 is the everyday word for one's ancestors in general, while 元祖 specifically refers to the very first, founding ancestor of a family line.
祖そ
先祖 is the everyday word for one's ancestors in general, while 祖 is a shorter, more formal term often pointing to the very first ancestor or founder of a lineage.
親おやN4
先祖 is the normal modern word for an ancestor, while 親 used for 'ancestor' is rare or literary.

Opposites

子し孫そんN2
子孫 means descendants, the direct opposite of 先祖 which means ancestors.

Don't confuse with

先せん代だいN1
先代 means the immediately preceding head of a family (often one's own father), while 先祖 refers more broadly to distant ancestors going back generations.

Counted with

人にん
先祖 refers to people, so it is counted with 人 (e.g. 先祖二人 for two ancestors).

Word family

先せん祖ぞ返がえり
atavism; reversion to ancestral traits
先せん祖ぞ代だい々だい
ancestral; hereditary; handed down from generation to generation · for generations; from generation to generation
先せん祖ぞ伝でん承しょう
oral tradition; handed-down lore; legend
先せん祖

Written forms

先せん祖ぞUsage100%
Standard kanji spelling; high priority.
センゾUsage<1%

Etymology

Compound of 先 (previous, earlier) and 祖 (ancestor). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the combination naturally conveys the meaning of forebears.

ぞ

伝でん

来らい

inherited; ancestral; family heirloom

先せん祖ぞの位い牌はい

ancestral tablet; memorial tablet for ancestors

先せん祖ぞ構こう造ぞう体たい

ancestor structure