父
father
Examples
3 of 5私の父は会社員です。
My father is an office worker.
父は現在、海外に出張しております。
My father is currently on an overseas business trip.
昨日、父に相談したんだ。
I consulted with my father yesterday.
Antonyms
Word Family
Memory Tip
The kanji 父 looks like a person with a mustache or two crossed sticks, symbolizing the traditional 'authority' figure of the house.
Quick Quiz
会社で上司に自分の親について話すとき、「私の（ ）は教師です」と言います。
Correct!
The correct answer is: 父
Examples
私の父は会社員です。
everydayMy father is an office worker.
父は現在、海外に出張しております。
formalMy father is currently on an overseas business trip.
昨日、父に相談したんだ。
informalI consulted with my father yesterday.
本論文では、現代社会における父の権威について考察する。
academicThis paper examines the authority of the father in modern society.
父が以前、貴社でお世話になっておりました。
businessMy father was previously in the employment of your company.
Antonyms
Word Family
Common Collocations
Common Phrases
父の日
Father's Day
父の背中を見て育つ
to grow up watching one's father's example
厳父慈母
strict father and benevolent mother
Often Confused With
Otousan is used to address one's own father directly or to refer to someone else's father; Chichi is only for referring to one's own father to outsiders.
Chichioya is a descriptive, objective term for 'a father' or 'the male parent' in a general or biological sense.
Usage Notes
Always use 'chichi' when speaking to a teacher, a boss, or a stranger about your own father. Never use 'chichi' to refer to someone else's father.
Common Mistakes
Learners often use 'otousan' when speaking to a boss about their father, which is too polite toward one's own family in a professional setting.
Memory Tip
The kanji 父 looks like a person with a mustache or two crossed sticks, symbolizing the traditional 'authority' figure of the house.
Word Origin
Derived from the ancient Japanese word 'tata' or 'chi', which are thought to be primitive sounds used by infants to address their male parent.
Grammar Patterns
Cultural Context
The distinction between 'chichi' and 'otousan' is a fundamental example of the Japanese 'uchi-soto' culture, where family members are treated as part of the self and thus humbled in front of outsiders.
Quick Quiz
会社で上司に自分の親について話すとき、「私の（ ）は教師です」と言います。
Correct!
The correct answer is: 父
Related Grammar Rules
More family words
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