Japanese word

父

Pronunciation

Romajichichi

Meaning

  • nounfather

Example

父は家にいます。chichi wa ie ni i ma su

My father is at home.

Illustration for 父 (father)

More examples

父と公園でサッカーをします。chichi to kō en de sa kkā o shi ma su

I play soccer in the park with my father.

父の誕生日に料理を作りました。chichi no tan jō hi ni ryō ri o tsuku ri ma shi ta

I cooked a meal for my father's birthday.

Core concept

Refers to a man understood through his family role as the parent of a child.

Common phrases

  • 父と話すchichi to hana su

    talk with one's father

  • 父の誕生日chichi no tan jō hi

    father's birthday

  • 父の仕事chichi no shi goto

    father's job

Similar words

お父さんotōsan: A common polite way to refer to one's father.
父親chichioya: A word for a male parent that can refer to anyone's father.
親父oyaji: An informal word for one's father.

Definition in Japanese

子を持つ男性のうち、その子どもから見て親に当たる者。ko o mo tsu dan sei no u chi so no ko do mo ka ra mi te oya ni a ta ru mono

Word origin

父 (chichi) comes from the native Japanese word ちち (titi, "father") in Old Japanese, with the older t sound changing to the modern ch sound.

Usage tips

  • Children commonly call their father お父さん (otōsan, "Dad"), whereas 父 (chichi, "father") is a neutral way to mention one's own father in conversation.

Other meanings

  • dadnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word