Chinese word

岳父

Pronunciation

Pinyinyuè fù

Meaning

  • nounfather-in-law

Example

我们今晚请岳父来吃饭。wǒ men jīn wǎn qǐng yuè fù lái chī fàn

We are inviting my father-in-law to dinner tonight.

Illustration for 岳父 (father-in-law)

More examples

今天我去岳父家里帮忙。jīn tiān wǒ qù yuè fù jiā lǐ bāng máng

Today, I am going to my father-in-law's house to help.

Core concept

A marriage-linked father figure whose place in the family carries formal respect.

Common phrases

  • 拜访岳父bài fǎng yuè fù

    visit one's father-in-law

  • 和岳父见面hé yuè fù jiàn miàn

    meet one's father-in-law

  • 向岳父道谢xiàng yuè fù dào xiè

    thank one's father-in-law

Similar words

老丈人lǎo zhàng rén: A familiar, colloquial term for a wife's father, often used with warmth.
岳丈yuè zhàng: A somewhat formal term for a wife's father, used in respectful address.

Definition in Chinese

指妻子的父亲，兼具亲属称谓与礼貌色彩，根据场合可作口语或书面用语。zhǐ qī zǐ de fù qīn jiān jù qīn shǔ chēng wèi yǔ lǐ mào sè cǎi gēn jù chǎng hé kě zuò kóu yǔ huò shū miàn yòng yǔ

Word origin

岳父 (yuèfù, "father-in-law") is formed from 岳 (yuè, "mountain") and 父 (fù, "father"), with 岳 providing an honorific sense and 父 identifying the family role.

Usage tips

  • English uses father-in-law for a spouse's parent of either side, but Chinese kinship vocabulary often marks which side of the marriage a parent belongs to.

Related words

Word lists with this word