父 — Kanji Meaning, Readings & Example Words (JLPT N5)
What it means
父 simply means father. The tricky part for English speakers isn't the meaning — it's which word to use. Japanese has two main ways to say "father," and they depend on whose father you mean:
- 父 (ちち) — your own father, when talking about him to other people. It's the plain, humble form. You'd never call out "ちち!" to your dad's face.
- お父さん (おとうさん) — the polite form. Use it for someone else's father, and when addressing or talking to your own dad directly ("Hey, Dad!").
So you'd say 「私の父は…」 ("My father…") when describing your dad to a friend, but call 「お父さん!」 to get his attention. In two-kanji compounds, 父 usually switches to the on'yomi フ (祖父 "grandfather," 父母 "father and mother"). This is the exact mirror of 母 (mother): はは vs お母さん.
Readings
| Type | Reading | Used in |
|---|---|---|
| kun'yomi | ちち | 父 ([my] father — humble), 父親 (father) |
| on'yomi | フ | 祖父 (grandfather), 父母 (parents) |
| irregular | (とう) | お父さん (おとうさん, father — polite) |
Here's the rule of thumb that works across most kanji: the kun'yomi (ちち) appears when the kanji stands more or less alone, while the on'yomi (フ) shows up inside two-kanji compounds (祖父, 父母). The big exception to memorize for 父 is お父さん = おとうさん — the 父 there is read とう, which is a special reading you simply learn by heart.
Stroke order & radical
- Strokes: 4. Write the two short upper strokes first (a small "v" shape), then the long stroke sweeping down to the left, and finish with the stroke crossing down to the right.
- Radical: 父 is its own radical, the "father" radical (ちち). It's a small, self-contained kanji, so you can think of the whole character as the radical.
Because it's only four strokes, 父 is quick to write — focus on the balanced "X-like" crossing of the two lower strokes, which is what makes it look right.
Common words using 父
Notice the reading split in action: 父 alone and 父親 take the kun'yomi ちち, while the compounds 祖父 and 父母 flip to the on'yomi フ. And お父さん is the irregular one to flag — its 父 is read とう, never ちち.
Example sentences
ヤッタンの父は毎日コーヒーを飲みます。
ヤッタンの ちちは まいにち コーヒーを のみます。
Yattan's father drinks coffee every day.
父 (ちち) — the kun'yomi, used when talking about your own father.
モチは「お父さん、おはよう」と言いました。
モチは「おとうさん、おはよう」と いいました。
Mochi said, 'Good morning, Dad.'
お父さん (おとうさん) — irregular polite reading, used to address your father directly.
弟は祖父の家へ遊びに行きました。
おとうとは そふの いえへ あそびに いきました。
My little brother went to play at our grandfather's house.
祖父 (そふ) — here 父 uses the on'yomi フ inside a compound.
Quick recap
- 父 = father; just 4 strokes; it's the "father" radical itself.
- ちち = your own father, spoken about him (humble); お父さん (おとうさん) = polite, for others' dads or addressing your own.
- フ appears in compounds: 祖父 (grandfather), 父母 (parents).
- Flag the irregular reading: お父さん = おとうさん (not ちちさん). It mirrors 母 → お母さん.
Your turn
Choose the correct reading of 父 in each word.
Start the 5-question drill →Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between 父 (ちち) and お父さん (おとうさん)?
Both mean 'father.' 父 (ちち) is the humble form for your OWN father when talking about him to others. お父さん (おとうさん) is polite — use it for someone else's father, and also when addressing or talking to your own dad directly.
Why is お父さん read おとうさん and not おちちさん?
It's an irregular reading you just memorize. In お父さん the kanji 父 is read とう, a special reading. It parallels お母さん (mother), so learning the two together helps it stick.
When does 父 use the reading フ?
The on'yomi フ shows up in two-kanji compounds, such as 祖父 (そふ, grandfather) and 父母 (ふぼ, parents). When 父 stands alone or in 父親, it uses the kun'yomi ちち.
How many strokes does 父 have?
父 has 4 strokes and is its own radical, the 'father' radical (ちち).