宗

• Pinyin: zōng
• Hanzi breakdown: 宗 = 宀 (roof/shelter) + 示 (ritual/altar)

Meaning

Measure word for cases, matters, or transactions (especially legal, financial, or official affairs). Also: ancestor; sect; lineage.

As a measure word, 宗 quantifies formal matters such as 一宗案件 (a case) or 一宗交易 (a transaction). In classical or cultural contexts it also denotes ancestral lineage or religious sect.

Examples

1. 检察院对这宗重大腐败案件展开了全面调查。 The prosecutor's office launched a full investigation into this major corruption case.
2. 这宗价值数十亿的并购交易历经三年谈判终于落定。 This multibillion-dollar merger deal finally closed after three years of negotiations.
3. 这宗古老的学术流派在近代几乎已销声匿迹。 This ancient academic school has all but disappeared in modern times.

Usage Guide

Context: legal, business, history, religion

Tone: neutral

Do Say

• 警方已对那宗入室盗窃案立案侦查。(The police have opened an investigation into that burglary case.)
• 这宗跨境并购涉及多个司法管辖区的监管审批。(This cross-border merger involves regulatory approvals from multiple jurisdictions.)

Don't Say

• 一宗苹果 — 宗 measures formal matters, not physical objects; use 个 or 箱 for fruit

Origin & History

宗 = 宀 (roof) + 示 (altar) — ancestral hall; extended to mean lineage, sect, and (as measure word) formal matters

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal