父
[t͡ɕi̥t͡ɕi]
In Japanese, "my dad" is expressed as 父.
父 is the standard way to refer to your own father in formal settings or when writing documents.
Which one should you use?
父 is a humble or neutral term used when speaking to someone outside your family about your father. In contrast, お父さん is used when addressing your father directly or when speaking about someone else's father. For a more colloquial or rough way to refer to your father or an older man, you might use 親父.
Did you know?
- In Japanese culture, using the humble 父 when speaking to a stranger shows respect to the listener by lowering the status of your own family member.
- The word 父 likely began as a form of baby talk, once used by small children to refer to their own fathers.
- The colloquial term 親父 literally translates to 'parent man' and is often used to refer to a boss or a master in a traditional apprenticeship, not just a biological father.
Examples in context
- 母は父より二つ下です。My mom is two years younger than my dad.This sentence is useful for comparing the ages of a mother and father.Tatoeba #1247383 by bunbuku, translation #1273520 by Scott
- お父さんにもらったの。I got it from my dad.This sentence is useful for showing where an object was obtained from.Tatoeba #10744345 by small_snow, translation #12579116 by CK
- 親父は職人気質な人でね。My dad is a stubborn man at his job.This sentence is useful for describing a father's personality and work ethic.Tatoeba #10565365 by small_snow, translation #10565362 by auxitt
- 49 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their families.
- 蓮 Ren陽葵さんの父親は何をしていますか？Himari-san no chichioya wa nani o shite imasu ka?What does your father do for a living, Himari?
- 陽葵 Himari父は銀行で働いています。Chichi wa ginkou de hataraite imasu.My dad works at a bank.
- 蓮 Renそうなんですね。すごいですね。Sou nan desu ne. Sugoi desu ne.I see. That's impressive.
- 陽葵 Himariいえ、普通の会社員ですよ。Ie, futsuu no kaishain desu yo.No, he's just an ordinary office worker.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry 父, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 父, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
