宗 zōng — ancestral, sect · English

宗

zōng

ancestral, sect

At a glance · 宗

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Evolution of the glyph

Five stages, from a sketch of the real object to regular script — tap a stage, drag the timeline, or play the animation.

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seen
Oracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCE
Seal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCE
Clerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CE
Regular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

Object sketchBefore writing · drawing what was seenOracle boneShang dynasty · c. 1300–1046 BCESeal scriptQin dynasty · 221–206 BCEClerical scriptHan dynasty · 206 BCE–220 CERegular scriptWei–Jin to Tang · c. 3rd–9th century CE

⚠ Some ancient forms are not attested：oracle bone form、seal script form。No excavated oracle bone / seal artifact is attested for this character yet; we leave it blank rather than fabricate.

甲骨文、金文从宀（屋）从示（神主），会意供奉祖先神主的庙室。隶楷作「宗」。

What the sketch shows

Origins & notes

「宗」本指宗庙，引申为祖先、根本、派别。

Structure

会意字，从宀从示，屋中设神主为宗庙。

At a glance

Pinyinzōng

Radical宀

Strokes8

UnicodeU+5B97

Character type会意

Theme礼乐

Six languages, one character

Each page offers hreflang versions; switching language keeps the glyphs and meanings aligned.

English ancestral, sect Ancestral temple; lineage, sect, purpose.

Français ancestral, secte Temple ancestral; lignée, secte, but.

Español ancestral, secta Templo ancestral; linaje, secta, propósito.

العربية أجدادي، مذهب معبد أجداد أو سلالة أو مذهب.

Русский родовой, секта Родовой храм; род, секта, цель.

Common words

宗教zōng jiàoreligion
宗zōngancestor

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