宗 meaning and stroke order
School; sect; purpose
How to write 宗, stroke by stroke
8 strokes in order. Each box adds the next stroke in red. Write top to bottom and left to right, and finish enclosing strokes last.
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Meaning of 宗
Definitions from CC-CEDICT, grouped by pronunciation.
- school
- sect
- purpose
- model
- ancestor
- clan
How 宗 is built
Ideographic (compound meaning) character. An altar 示 to the ancestor spirits found in one's home 宀.
Radical: 宀 (roof), shared by 67 characters on this site.
How to remember 宗
宗 shows a roof 宀 over an altar 示. Picture a family shrine inside the home where people honor their ancestors, which leads to the ideas of clan, lineage, and religion.
宗 rarely stands alone in modern speech and mostly appears in words like 宗教 (zōngjiào, religion), 祖宗 (zǔzong, ancestors), and 宗旨 (zōngzhǐ, aim). 正宗 (zhèngzōng) is very common for food or products that are authentic. Example: 这家店的川菜很正宗。(Zhè jiā diàn de chuāncài hěn zhèngzōng.) This restaurant's Sichuan food is very authentic.
Common mistake: Learners often confuse 宗 (zōng) with 完 (wán) or 定 (dìng), which share the 宀 roof. Check the bottom: 宗 has 示, with two lines on top and a 小 shape below. Also note that 祖宗 is usually said zǔzong with a neutral tone on the second syllable.
Common words with 宗
Ordered by HSK level, then by how often they appear in everyday Chinese.
宗 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Characters that contain 宗
Learning 宗 makes these easier to recognize and write.
Questions about 宗
How many strokes are in 宗?
宗 is written with 8 strokes. The diagrams on this page number every stroke in the order it is written, with the new stroke shown in red.
What does 宗 mean?
宗 (zōng) means school; sect; purpose. A common word with it is 宗教 (zōngjiào), meaning "religion".
How do you pronounce 宗?
宗 is pronounced zōng, in the first tone (high and level).
What is the radical of 宗?
The radical of 宗 is 宀, which carries the idea of "roof". Dictionaries list 宗 under this radical.
Is 宗 on the HSK exam?
Yes. 宗 is part of the HSK 6 character list in the HSK 3.0 standard.
Is 宗 used as a measure word?
Yes. In formal or news language 宗 counts cases, deals, or batches, as in 一宗案件 (yì zōng ànjiàn, one legal case) or 一宗交易 (yì zōng jiāoyì, one transaction).
How is 宗 related to 踪 and 综?
In 踪 (zōng, trace) and 综 (zōng, synthesize), 宗 works as the sound component, so they are pronounced like 宗. The left side gives the meaning: 足 for footsteps and 纟 for silk threads woven together.