How do you say "ancestor" in Korean?

조상

josang

Noun Hangul

In Korean, "ancestor" is 조상 (josang).

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Pronunciation

“josang” is spoken as jos-ang, moving at a steady clip with no long vowel stretches.

Writing and usage

조상 is written using hangul. It's a noun, and this word is also taught inside the Noun Town language learning game, where it appears in interactive lessons alongside hundreds of other everyday words.

Example sentence

그녀의 조상은 작은 마을 출신이었다.

geunyeoui josangeun jageun maeul chulsinieotda.

Her ancestor came from a small village.

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How to remember 조상

“josang” sounds a bit like an old sepia photograph on a wall, which makes it easy to recall.

Related words

Browse all Korean words in the glossary.

Questions about 조상

How do you pronounce 조상?

“josang” is spoken as jos-ang, moving at a steady clip with no long vowel stretches.

Is 조상 formal or casual?

조상 is a neutral, everyday word that works in both casual and polite speech. The level of formality comes from the sentence structure around it, not from the word itself.

How is 조상 written in Korean?

조상 is written using hangul. Romanised, it reads as josang.

Where can I practice Korean words for free?

You can play free Korean minigames in your browser on the Noun Town online games page, with no sign-up needed. Every word in the Korean glossary also has native audio and an example sentence you can revisit any time.

"Ancestor" in other languages

Curated by Jack Ratcliffe

This word is part of the vocabulary taught in the Korean language learning game Noun Town, where words are introduced through play rather than memorisation. Want to play the full game? Get Noun Town on Steam.

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