Usage of the character 祖

ancestor
forefather
grandparents

Zǔ

祖

[祖]

surname Zu

Shèngzǔ

圣祖

[聖祖]

Shengzu, temple name of the second Qing emperor, known as the Kangxi Emperor (1654-1722)
cf. 康熙 ( Kāngxī)

Fózǔ

佛祖

[佛祖]

Buddha
founder of a buddhist sect

zǔjū

祖居

[祖居]

former residence
one's original home

shénzǔ

神祖

[神祖]

Godhead

zǔyǔ

祖语

[祖語]

proto-language
parent language (linguistics)

tàizǔ

太祖

[太祖]

Great Ancestor (posthumous title, e.g. for the founder of a dynasty)

zǔxiān

祖先

[祖先]

ancestors; forebears
(biology) ancestral species; ancient species from which present-day species evolved

zǔniǎo

祖鸟

[祖鳥]

dinosaur ancestor of birds

yuǎnzǔ

远祖

[遠祖]

a remote ancestor

zǔxì

祖系

[祖系]

ancestry
lineage
pedigree
also written 祖係／祖系

Māzǔ

妈祖

[媽祖]

Matsu, name of a sea goddess still widely worshipped on the SE China coast and in SE Asia

zǔmǔ

祖母

[祖母]

father's mother
paternal grandmother

bízǔ

鼻祖

[鼻祖]

the earliest ancestor
originator (of a tradition, school of thought etc)

jiāzǔ

家祖

[家祖]

(polite) my paternal grandfather

Mǎzǔ

马祖

[馬祖]

Matsu Islands off Fujian, administered by Taiwan

jìzǔ

祭祖

[祭祖]

to offer sacrifices to one's ancestors

shèngzǔ

圣祖

[聖祖]

divine ancester
patron saint

zēngzǔ

曾祖

[曾祖]

great-grandfather (father of one's paternal grandfather)

shūzǔ

叔祖

[叔祖]

grandfather's younger brother

Zhèngzǔ

正祖

[正祖]

Jeonjo (1752-1800), 22nd king of Korean Joseon dynasty

shǐzǔ

始祖

[始祖]

primogenitor
founder of a school or trade

Péng Zǔ

彭祖

[彭祖]

Peng Zu (legendary figure of Taoism who lived 800 years)

zǔchuán

祖传

[祖傳]

passed on from ancestors
handed down from generation to generation

zǔzōng

祖宗

[祖宗]

ancestor
forebear

zǔfù

祖父

[祖父]

father's father
paternal grandfather

xiānzǔ

先祖

[先祖]

(literary) my deceased grandfather
(literary) ancestors

zǔcí

祖祠

[祖祠]

shrine dedicated to one's ancestors

zǔjí

祖籍

[祖籍]

ancestral hometown
original domicile (and civil registration)

Zǔmǎ

祖马

[祖馬]

Zuma (name)
Jacob Zuma (1942-), South African ANC politician, vice-president 1999-2005, president 2009-2018

zǔshī

祖师

[祖師]

founder (of a craft, religious sect etc)

zǔfén

祖坟

[祖墳]

ancestral tomb

xiǎnzǔ

显祖

[顯祖]

ancestors (old)

zǔwū

祖屋

[祖屋]

ancestral house

zǔguó

祖国

[祖國]

motherland

jīzǔ

积祖

[積祖]

many generations of ancestors

zǔbèi

祖辈

[祖輩]

ancestors
forefathers
ancestry

Zǔlǔ

祖鲁

[祖魯]

Zulu

zǔyíng

祖茔

[祖塋]

ancestral tomb

Qīng Tàizǔ

清太祖

[清太祖]

posthumous title of Nurhaci 努爾哈赤／努尔哈赤 ( Nǔ'ěrhāchì) (1559-1626), founder and first Khan of the Manchu Later Jin dynasty 後金／后金 ( Hòu Jīn) (from 1616)

zǔniǎolèi

祖鸟类

[祖鳥類]

dinosaur ancestors of birds

zǔgūmǔ

祖姑母

[祖姑母]

father's father's sister
great aunt

Yuán Shìzǔ

元世祖

[元世祖]

lit. progenitor of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), title of Khubilai Khan (1215-1294), first Yuan dynasty emperor, reigned 1260-1294

Róng Zǔ'ér

容祖儿

[容祖兒]

Joey Yung (1980-), Hong Kong pop singer and actress

wàizǔfù

外祖父

[外祖父]

maternal grandfather (i.e. mother's father)

Hàn Gāozǔ

汉高祖

[漢高祖]

posthumous name of the first Han emperor Liu Bang 劉邦／刘邦 (256 or 247-195 BC), reigned 202-195 BC

Yuán Tàizǔ

元太祖

[元太祖]

posthumous title of Genghis Khan 成吉思汗 ( Chéngjísīhán) (1162-1227)

zǔfùmǔ

祖父母

[祖父母]

paternal grandparents

zēngzǔmǔ

曾祖母

[曾祖母]

father's father's mother
paternal great-grandmother

Táng Gāozǔ

唐高祖

[唐高祖]

Emperor Gaozu of Tang, reign name of first Tang emperor Li Yuan 李淵／李渊 ( Lǐ Yuān) (566-635), reigned 618-626

Sòng Zǔyīng

宋祖英

[宋祖英]

Song Zuying (1966-), Chinese folk music singer

Tāng Xiǎnzǔ

汤显祖

[湯顯祖]

Tang Xianzu (1550-1616), Ming poet and dramatist, author of The Peony Pavilion 牡丹亭 ( Mǔdan Tíng)

gāozǔfù

高祖父

[高祖父]

great-great-grandfather

Zhèng Guāngzǔ

郑光祖

[鄭光祖]

Zheng Guangzu, Yuan dynasty dramatist in the 雜劇／杂剧 tradition of musical comedy, one of the Four Great Yuan dramatists 元曲四大家

shǐzǔniǎo

始祖鸟

[始祖鳥]

Archaeopteryx

Míng Chéngzǔ

明成祖

[明成祖]

Ming Chengzu, temple name of third Ming Emperor Yongle 永樂／永乐 ( Yǒnglè)

ānzǔhuā

安祖花

[安祖花]

flamingo lily (Anthurium andraeanum)

shūzǔmǔ

叔祖母

[叔祖母]

wife of paternal grandfather's younger brother

zǔmǔlü

祖母绿

[祖母綠]

emerald

zǔshīyé

祖师爷

[祖師爺]

founder (of a craft, religious sect etc)

Zǔchōngzhī

祖冲之

[祖沖之]

Zu Chongzhi (429-500), astronomer and mathematician

zǔfùbèi

祖父辈

[祖父輩]

people of one's grandparents' generation

xiǎozǔzōng

小祖宗

[小祖宗]

brat
little devil

Míng Tàizǔ

明太祖

[明太祖]

Ming Taizu, temple name of first Ming emperor Hongwu 洪武 ( Hóngwǔ)

zēngzǔfù

曾祖父

[曾祖父]

father's father's father
paternal great-grandfather

Sòng Tàizǔ

宋太祖

[宋太祖]

Emperor Taizu of Song, posthumous title of the founding Song emperor Zhao Kuangyin 趙匡胤／赵匡胤 (927-976), reigned from 960

wàizǔmǔ

外祖母

[外祖母]

mother's mother
maternal grandmother

Zǔlǔrén

祖鲁人

[祖魯人]

Zulu people

gāozǔmǔ

高祖母

[高祖母]

great-great-grandmother

Shā Zǔkāng

沙祖康

[沙祖康]

Sha Zukang (1947-), Chinese diplomat

wǔzǔquán

五祖拳

[五祖拳]

Wuzuquan - "Five Ancestors" - Martial Art

Wáng Zǔxián

王祖贤

[王祖賢]

Joey Wong (1967-), Taiwanese actress

bāzǔkǎ

巴祖卡

[巴祖卡]

bazooka (loanword)

fǎnzǔxiànxiàng

返祖现象

[返祖現象]

atavism (biology)

zēngwàizǔmǔ

曾外祖母

[曾外祖母]

great-grandmother (mother's grandmother)

bóshūzǔmǔ

伯叔祖母

[伯叔祖母]

father's father's brother's wife
great aunt

kāishānzǔshī

开山祖师

[開山祖師]

founding master of a monastery
founder
originator

bǎowèizǔguó

保卫祖国

[保衛祖國]

to defend one's country

wūwūzǔlā

呜呜祖拉

[嗚嗚祖拉]

vuvuzela (horn) (loanword)

Mǎzǔ Lièdǎo

马祖列岛

[馬祖列島]

Matsu Islands

róngzōngyàozǔ

荣宗耀祖

[榮宗耀祖]

to bring honor to one's ancestors (idiom)
also written 光宗耀祖

shǔdiǎnwàngzǔ

数典忘祖

[數典忘祖]

to recount history but omit one's ancestors (idiom); to forget one's roots

zēngzǔfùmǔ

曾祖父母

[曾祖父母]

great-grandparents

wēngwēngzǔlā

嗡嗡祖拉

[嗡嗡祖拉]

vuvuzela (horn blown by sports fans)

bóshūzǔfù

伯叔祖父

[伯叔祖父]

father's father's brother
great uncle

guāngzōngyàozǔ

光宗耀祖

[光宗耀祖]

to bring honor to one's ancestors

zǔzǔbèibèi

祖祖辈辈

[祖祖輩輩]

for generations
from generation to generation

kāishānbízǔ

开山鼻祖

[開山鼻祖]

founder

zēngwàizǔfù

曾外祖父

[曾外祖父]

great-grandfather (mother's grandfather)

zhíxìzǔxiān

直系祖先

[直系祖先]

direct ancestor

Zǔguóguāngfùhuì

祖国光复会

[祖國光復會]

movement to restore the fatherland

Zǔguó Hépíng Tǒngyī Wěiyuánhuì

祖国和平统一委员会

[祖國和平統一委員會]

Committee for Peaceful Reunification of the Fatherland (North Korean)