| 祖国 | zǔ guó | ancestral land CL:个; homeland; used for PRC |
| 祖 | zǔ | ancestor; forefather; grandparents; surname Zu |
| 祖先 | zǔ xiān | ancestor; forebears |
| 祖父 | zǔ fù | father's father; paternal grandfather |
| 保卫祖国 | bǎo wèi zǔ guó | to defend one's country |
| 太祖 | tài zǔ | Great Ancestor (posthumous title, e.g. for the founder of a dynasty) |
| 祖宗 | zǔ zōng | ancestor; forebear |
| 祖母 | zǔ mǔ | father's mother; paternal grandmother |
| 宋太祖 | Sòng Tài zǔ | Emperor Taizu of Song, posthumous title of the founding Song emperor Zhao Kuangyin 赵匡胤 (927-976), reigned from 960 |
| 祖传 | zǔ chuán | passed on from ancestors; handed down from generation to generation |
| 祖祖辈辈 | zǔ zǔ bèi bèi | for generations; from generation to generation |
| 始祖 | shǐ zǔ | primogenitor; founder of a school or trade |
| 祖坟 | zǔ fén | ancestral tomb |
| 元世祖 | Yuán Shì zǔ | lit. progenitor of the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368 CE), title of Khubilai Khan (1215-1294 CE), grandson of Genghis Khan 成吉思汗, first Yuan dynasty emperor, reigned 1260-1294 |
| 明太祖 | Míng Tài zǔ | Ming Taizu, Temple name of first Ming emperor Hongwu 洪武 |
| 外祖母 | wài zǔ mǔ | mother's mother; maternal grandmother |
| 外祖父 | wài zǔ fù | maternal grandfather (i.e. mother's father) |
| 五祖拳 | wǔ zǔ quán | Wuzuquan - "Five Ancestors" - Martial Art |
| 伯叔祖母 | bó shū zǔ mǔ | father's father's brother's wife; great aunt |
| 伯叔祖父 | bó shū zǔ fù | father's father's brother; great uncle |
| 元太祖 | Yuán tài zǔ | posthumous title of Genghis Khan 成吉思汗 (1162-1227) |
| 先祖 | xiān zǔ | deceased grandfather; ancestry |
| 光宗耀祖 | guāng zōng yào zǔ | to bring honor to one's ancestors |
| 叔祖 | shū zǔ | grandfather's younger brother |
| 叔祖母 | shū zǔ mǔ | wife of paternal grandfather's younger brother |
| 唐高祖 | Táng Gāo zǔ | Emperor Gaozu of Tang, reign name of first Tang emperor Li Yuan 李渊 (566-635), reigned 618-626 |
| 唐高祖李渊 | Táng Gāo zǔ Lǐ Yuān | Li Yuan (566-635), first Tang emperor Gaozu, reigned 618-626 |
| 嗡嗡祖拉 | wēng wēng zǔ lā | vuvuzela (horn blown by sports fans) |
| 始祖鸟 | shǐ zǔ niǎo | Archaeopteryx |
| 妈祖 | Mā zǔ | Matsu, name of a sea goddess still widely worshipped on the SE China coast and in SE Asia |
| 安祖花 | ān zǔ huā | Anthurium hybrida, tropical flower originally from Colombia |
| 容祖儿 | Róng Zǔ ér | Joey Yung (1980-), Hong Kong pop singer and actress |
| 彭祖 | Péng Zǔ | Peng Zu (legendary figure of Taoism who lived 800 years) |
| 数典忘祖 | shǔ diǎn wàng zǔ | to recount history but omit one's ancestors (idiom); to forget one's roots |
| 明成祖 | Míng Chéng zǔ | Ming Chengzu, Temple name of third Ming Emperor Yongle 永乐 |
| 曾外祖母 | zēng wài zǔ mǔ | great-grandmother (mother's grandmother) |
| 曾外祖父 | zēng wài zǔ fù | great-grandfather (mother's grandfather) |
| 曾祖 | zēng zǔ | great-grandfather (father of one's paternal grandfather) |
| 曾祖母 | zēng zǔ mǔ | father's father's mother; paternal great-grandmother |
| 曾祖父 | zēng zǔ fù | father's father's father; paternal great-grandfather |
| 曾祖父母 | céng zǔ fù mǔ | great-grandparents |
| 荣宗耀祖 | róng zōng yào zǔ | to bring honor to one's ancestors (idiom); also written 光宗耀祖 |
| 正祖 | Zhèng zǔ | Jeonjo (1752-1800), 22nd king of Korean Joseon dynasty |
| 沙祖康 | Shā Zǔ kāng | Sha Zukang |
| 清太祖 | Qīng Tài zǔ | posthumous title of Nurhaci 努尔哈赤 (1559-1626), founder and first Khan of the Manchu Later Jin dynasty 后金 (from 1616) |
| 汤显祖 | Tāng xiǎn zǔ | Tang Xianzu (1550-1616), Ming poet and dramatist, author of Peony pavilion 牡丹亭 |
| 汉高祖 | Hàn Gāo zǔ | posthumous name of the first Han emperor Liu Bang 刘邦 (256 or 247-195 BC), reigned 202-195 BC |
| 汉高祖刘邦 | Hàn Gāo zǔ Liú Bāng | Liu Bang (256 or 247-195 BC), first Han emperor, reigned 207-195 BC |
| 王祖贤 | wáng zǔ xián | Joey Wong (actress) |
| 直系祖先 | zhí xì zǔ xiān | direct ancestor |
