Memory phrase for the Kanji: 祖

祖

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Meaning

ancestor

Pronunciation

 SO

Explanation

 Left: altar, to show 示/礻, right: besides/moreover 且 (A pile of stones [= a stone cairn] where moreover stones are added.) - Here 且 as three coffins piled over each others seen from the end.

Mnemonic

At the altar the coffins are piled: of our ancestors.

Radicals

礻 to show, altarThe radical shimesu is a simplification of show 示, which is a pictogram of an altar.
且 pile of stones, besides
亡 deathPicture of a coffin in cross section view
Tip: Go to the radicals that are contained in this character and learn all the characters with this radical systematically!

Vocabulary

 祖  そ  ancestor, forefather
 祖母  そぼ  grandmother
 祖父  そふ  grandfather
 祖父母  そふぼ  grandparents
 先祖  せんぞ  ancestor
 祖先  そせん  ancestor

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