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祖

祖 — ancestor, pioneer, founder

Learn the correct stroke order for 祖 (ancestor), a 9-stroke kanji.

JLPT N3Grade 59 strokes

Stroke Order

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Stroke 0 / 9
On'yomi (音読み)ソso
Kun'yomi (訓読み)—
Strokes9
Radical示
Frequency#1226
Meaningsancestor, pioneer, founder

Step-by-Step Diagram

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Try Writing It

Practice writing each stroke in the correct order and direction. Start from the green dot.

Draw stroke 1 of 9 — start from the green dot

Common Words

教祖きょうそfounder of a religious sectnoun
元祖がんそoriginator; pioneer; inventornoun
宗祖しゅうそsect foundernoun
先祖せんぞancestor; forefather; foremothernoun
祖国そこくhomeland; motherland; fatherlandnoun
祖先そせんancestornoun

Usage & Examples

Usage Notes

The kanji 祖 (ancestor) is taught in grade 5 of Japanese elementary school and appears at JLPT N3 level. It has 9 strokes with radical 示.

In newspaper frequency rankings, 祖 is #1226, making it a moderately common kanji.

Example Words in Context

教祖きょうそ — founder of a religious sect
元祖がんそ — originator; pioneer; inventor
宗祖しゅうそ — sect founder

Practice Sheet

Trace then write on your own. Print this row as a PDF practice sheet.

Related Kanji

Same radical (示)

示show礼salute社company祉welfare祈pray神gods祝celebrate祥auspicious

Same reading

組association想idea

Frequently Asked Questions

How many strokes does 祖 have?

The kanji 祖 (ancestor) has 9 strokes. Watch the animation above to see the correct order.

What is the correct stroke order for 祖?

祖 follows the standard Japanese stroke order as taught in schools. Use the step-by-step diagram or the "Try Writing" tool above to practice each stroke in sequence.

What does 祖 mean?

祖 means: ancestor, pioneer, founder. On'yomi readings: ソ.

What JLPT level is 祖?

祖 is a JLPT N3 kanji. This is an intermediate kanji.