Japanese symbol for “ancestors”
父祖
ふそ
Romaji: fuso
ancestors
In Japanese, ancestors is 父祖, read ふそ (fuso).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n ancestors
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “ancestors”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 祖宗 | そそう sosou | ancestors |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 父親 | ちちおや chichioya | father |
| お父さん | おとうさん otousan | father; dad; papa |
| 祖父 | そふ sofu | grandfather |
| 叔父 | おじ oji | uncle |
| 親父 | おやじ oyaji | one's father; one's old man; dad |
| 義父 | ぎふ gifu | father-in-law |
| 祖母 | そぼ sobo | grandmother |
| 先祖 | せんぞ senzo | ancestor; forefather; foremother |
See also: Chinese symbol for “ancestors”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.