祖そ国こく

そ

こ

く

Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

homeland; motherland; fatherland; native country

Refers to one's country of origin, often with emotional or patriotic connotations. Used in both formal and everyday contexts.

彼かれは祖そ国こくを離はなれて十じゅう年ねんになる。
It has been ten years since he left his homeland.
祖そ国こくのために戦たたかう。
Fight for one's motherland.

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Usage patterns

〈人ひと〉が祖そ国こくに帰かえるfor someone to return to their homeland
彼かれは十じゅう年ねんぶりに祖そ国こくに帰かえった。
He returned to his homeland after ten years.
祖そ国こくのために〈動どう詞し〉to do something for the sake of one's homeland
多おおくの若わか者ものが祖そ国こくのために戦たたかった。
Many young people fought for their homeland.
祖そ国こくを離はなれるto leave one's homeland
彼かの女じょは仕し事ごとのため祖そ国こくを離はなれることを決きめた。
She decided to leave her homeland for work.

Kanji

祖ancestor, pioneer, founder
国country

Related words

母ぼ国こくN1
母国 and 祖国 both mean 'homeland,' but 母国 is more common in everyday phrases like 母国語 (mother tongue) while 祖国 carries a stronger patriotic or historical nuance.
故こ郷きょうN3
故郷 refers to one's hometown or birthplace on a personal, local level, whereas 祖国 refers to the entire nation of origin.
本ほん国ごくN1
本国 is a neutral, often bureaucratic term for one's home country (as opposed to a foreign posting), while 祖国 emphasizes emotional or patriotic attachment.
故こ国こく
祖国 is the common, neutral word for one's native country, while 故国 is more literary and carries a stronger sense of longing or nostalgia.

Word family

祖そ国こく愛あい
patriotism; love of one's country
祖そ国こく復ふっ帰き
return to one's homeland; repatriation

Etymology

Sino-Japanese compound of 祖 (ancestor, founder) and 国 (country), literally 'ancestral country'. The term has been used in Japanese since at least the Meiji period to express national identity.