L41. Daily Japanese Kanji — Day 41: 父
Days 41-50
R-report
[Day 41] 父 - father
The character 父 originally represents a stylized hand holding a stick — an ancient pictograph associated with the role of a father or elder male. In modern Japanese it appears in family vocabulary and some formal compounds (often using the on'yomi). It's used when talking about your own father (父／ちち), addressing someone else's father politely (お父さん／おとうさん), and in compound words like 父親 or 父の日. Readings: On'yomi and Kun'yomi are both used depending on context and compounds. Common examples are listed below. Mnemonic tip: Think of 父 as two crossed strokes like a figure with arms — a simple image for a caring parent reaching out.
Readings
On'yomi: **フ (fu)** (used in some compounds, e.g., 祖父 — そふ / sofu) Kun'yomi: **ちち (chichi)** (one's own father); **おとうさん (otōsan)** commonly used politely when addressing or referring to someone else's father
Related words
- 父（ちち / chichi） — father (one's own). - **父**は毎朝コーヒーを飲みます。（Chichi wa maiasa kōhī o nomimasu. — My father drinks coffee every morning.）
- お父さん（おとうさん / otōsan） — father (polite; used when addressing or speaking about someone else's father). - **お父さん**は今どこですか。（Otōsan wa ima doko desu ka? — Where is (your) father now?）
- 父親（ちちおや / chichioya） — father (more formal/neutral, 'male parent'). - 彼の**父親**は医者です。（Kare no **chichioya** wa isha desu. — His father is a doctor.）
- 父の日（ちちのひ / chichi no hi） — Father’s Day. - 毎年六月に**父の日**を祝います。（Mai toshi rokugatsu ni **chichi no hi** o iwaimasu. — Every year we celebrate Father’s Day in June.）
- 祖父（そふ / sofu） — grandfather (uses the on'yomi reading for 父 in the compound). - 私の**祖父**は戦後すぐに生まれました。（Watashi no **sofu** wa sengo sugu ni umaremashita. — My grandfather was born just after the war.）