Writing
祖先 (zǔ xiān) — how to say "ancestors" in Chinese
祖先
Ancestors, forefathers
noun
Character composition
祖
ancestor, forefather
先
earlier, before, first
Radicals / Keys
示
Spirit
#113 · shì · 5 strokes
儿
Son, legs
#10 · ér · 2 strokes
Collocations
祖先的智慧
zǔ xiān de zhì huì
wisdom of ancestors
纪念祖先
jì niàn zǔ xiān
commemorate ancestors
Examples
我们家族的祖先来自中国北方。
The ancestors of our family came from northern China.
这是我们的祖先。
These are our ancestors.
Frequently asked questions
Ancestors meaning in Chinese
"ancestors" in Chinese is 祖先 (zǔ xiān).
祖先 meaning in English
祖先 (zǔ xiān) means "Ancestors, forefathers".
How is 祖先 pronounced?
It is pronounced zǔ xiān (written as zu xian, zuxian). You can listen to the pronunciation on this page.
How do you write "ancestors" in Chinese characters?
It is written 祖先: 祖 has 9 strokes, 先 has 6 strokes. The Writing section above animates the stroke order of each character and lets you trace it.
What HSK level is 祖先?
祖先 belongs to the HSK 6 vocabulary list.
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