祀

Denotes the act of offering ritual sacrifice to deities or ancestors — a central element of East Asian religious and moral life.

It can mean both the ritual itself (“a sacrifice”) and the act of performing it (“to offer sacrifice”).

By extension, it carries the sense of honoring, commemorating, or remembering with reverence.

Phono-semantic compound composed of:

示 (보일 시) — semantic component, representing altar, divine manifestation, or spiritual offering; it indicates relation to religion and ritual.

巳 (뱀 사) — phonetic component, giving the sound sa and originally denoting the sixth of the twelve earthly branches (the Snake sign), associated with cyclical time and ritual periods.

Together, they express “an offering performed at the altar during a set time.”

Thus, 祀 originally referred to scheduled sacrifices, regular observances made to the spirits of Heaven, Earth, and ancestors.

祭祀 (제사) — ancestral or divine sacrifice

春祀 (춘사) — spring ritual (seasonal sacrifice to Heaven or spirits)

宗廟祀 (종묘사) — ancestral rites at the royal shrine

國祀 (국사) — state ritual; national ceremony to Heaven or ancestors

祀天 (사천) — to sacrifice to Heaven

祀典 (사전) — canon or record of state rituals

祀事 (사사) — sacrificial ceremony

祀器 (사기) — ritual vessels used in offerings

報祀 (보사) — to repay or thank through ritual

遙祀 (요사) — to perform worship from afar

In ancient Chinese civilization, 祀 stood at the core of political and spiritual order.

The legitimacy of kingship was maintained through proper performance of 祭祀 (rites of sacrifice) — seen as communication between Heaven (天), Earth (地), and Humanity (人).

「天子以春秋二祀，報功於天地。」

“The Son of Heaven performs sacrifices in spring and autumn, to repay Heaven and Earth for their virtues” — Book of Rites (禮記).

In Korea, 제사 (祭祀) retained this Confucian heritage.

The act of 祀 extended beyond religion to express filial piety (孝) and continuity of lineage — serving as a moral bridge between the living and the ancestors.

Even today, the word 제사 (jesa) directly derives from 祭祀, encompassing home rituals, state memorials, and national ceremonies honoring forebears.

In classical cosmology, 祀 was performed at fixed intervals, aligning human order with Heaven’s cycles (歲時).

To “keep the rites of 祀” was thus to maintain harmony between time, nature, and morality.

祀 symbolizes remembrance, reverence, and continuity.

The altar (示) represents the connection between seen and unseen; the ritual embodies gratitude and respect for origins.

Where 祭 (제) emphasizes the act of offering, 祀 (사) emphasizes the continuity and duty of doing so — the faithful observance of memorial rites across generations.

「祀不忘本，德之厚也。」

“He who does not forget the root in sacrifice — his virtue is deep.”

祀 teaches that honoring the past sustains the present.

Through remembrance and offering, one renews gratitude and order within the cycle of life.

「人能盡祀，其心與天通。」

“When one fulfills the rites of sacrifice, one’s heart communicates with Heaven.”

Thus, 祀 stands as a character of devotion, continuity, and reverence — a bridge between the human and the divine, reminding us that gratitude to our origins is the foundation of virtue and harmony.