爸
bà
The English phrase "pa" translates to the Chinese noun 爸 (bà).
Meaning: father (noun)
Which one should you use?
While 爸 is an informal and affectionate term used in daily life, the term 父亲 (fùqīn) is a formal term used in official documents, literature or very serious contexts.
How do you pronounce it?
The romanization is bà.
Did you know?
- In many Chinese families, children may call their father 爸 but will refer to him as 他 ('he') or by his title when speaking to others to show respect.
- The character 爸 is a phono-semantic compound, meaning it uses the character 巴 to indicate its sound while the character 父 provides its meaning.
- Depending on the region, some speakers might add a suffix to create 爸爸 (bàba), which sounds more childlike or affectionate than the single 爸.
Examples in context
- 我怕狗。I'm afraid of dogs.
- 猫扑向老鼠。The cat pounces on the mouse.
- 他啪一下拍了照。He snapped a photo.
- 他正在拍照。He is taking a photo.
- 我爸爸很忙。Wǒ bàba hěn máng.My father is very busy.
- 爸爸在睡觉。Bàba zài shuìjiào.Father is sleeping.
- 你要听爸爸的话。Nǐ yào tīng bàba de huà.You should listen to your father.
Example conversation
Two friends are talking about their families at a park.
- 梓涵 Zihan你爸爸呢？Nǐ bàba ne?Where is your father?
- 浩然 Haoran我爸爸在公司。Wǒ bàba zài gōngsī.My father is at the office.
- 梓涵 Zihan他今天加班吗？Tā jīntiān jiābān ma?Is he working overtime today?
- 浩然 Haoran是的，他很累。Shì de, tā hěn lèi.Yes, he is very tired.
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 爸, CC BY-SA 4.0.
