How to say "ancestral" in Japanese

• 先祖代々せんぞだいだい
  no-adjectiveCovers the 'ancestral; hereditary' sense, emphasizing transmission from generation to generation within a family. Typical context: land or a custom the family has kept for generations. It is a less common rendering of 'ancestral'.
• 先祖伝来せんぞでんらい
  no-adjectiveCovers the 'inherited; family (heirloom)' sense: something that has come down from one's ancestors, often a treasured possession. It is a four-character compound and a less common rendering of 'ancestral'.
  この先祖せんぞ伝来でんらいの家宝かほうは君きみの物ものだ。↗

  This heirloom shall be yours.

Both are less common ways to render 'ancestral': use 先祖代々 for things handed down from generation to generation in a family, and 先祖伝来 for things inherited from one's ancestors, especially family heirlooms.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 先祖代々せんぞだいだいancestral
• 先祖伝来せんぞでんらいinherited