Definition
祖籍 (zǔ jí) is a formal term for one's ancestral hometown — the place where one's ancestors originated, often tracked genealogically. It is more specific and formal than 老家 (lǎo jiā, everyday 'hometown'), and unlike 籍贯 (jí guàn, official registered birthplace), 祖籍 focuses on genealogical roots rather than legal registration.
noun
ancestral hometown (the place where one's ancestors originated, often tracked genealogically)
Easily confused
- 足迹zú jìsound-alikefootprint, track
Examples
- 祖籍，。Wǒ de zǔ jí shì Guǎngdōng, dàn wǒ zài Běijīng chūshēng zhǎngdà.My ancestral hometown is Guangdong, but I was born and grew up in Beijing.
- ，祖籍。Tián biǎogé shí, tā xiě de shì fùqin nàbiān de zǔ jí.When filling out the form, he wrote down his paternal ancestral hometown.
- 祖籍，。Suīrán jiāzú zǎo jiù bú zài zǔ jí zhù le, dàn měinián Qīngmíng hái huì huíqù sǎo mù.Even though the family no longer lives in the ancestral hometown, they still go back every Qingming Festival to sweep the graves.
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