祖先

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 祖先 (そせん) is a noun for people from earlier generations connected through descent.
• Basic usage: 祖先について調べる makes earlier family generations the research topic, while 祖先へ感謝を伝える marks them as recipients of gratitude in a festival.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Research topic and direction of gratitude
  • 祖先について marks the scope of genealogical inquiry, while 祖先へ marks the ceremonial direction of gratitude. The word does not mean every living parent or famous historical figure.