祖先

zǔxiān

noun HSK 7 #7,073

Measure Word

一位祖先 wèi

Meanings

1 ancestor
2 forefather

Characters

ancestor; grandfather

first; earlier; before

Examples

我们应该尊重祖先的文化传统。

Wǒmen yīnggāi zūnzhòng zǔxiān de wénhuà chuántǒng.

We should respect the cultural traditions of our ancestors.

他的祖先是从北方迁来的。

Tā de zǔxiān shì cóng běifāng qiān lái de.

His ancestors migrated from the north.

Tips

usage

祖先 refers to ancestors in general (multiple generations back). For grandparents specifically, use 祖父母. Compare with 祖宗, which is more colloquial and can be used as an exclamation.

Stroke Order

祖 zǔ

先 xiān