Meaning
父亲
fù qīn
Father
- 父
- father
- 亲
- parent, dear one
The respectful word for father; suits a tribute piece.
Father in Chinese
The Chinese word for father is 父亲 (fù qīn). The respectful word for father; suits a tribute piece. In traditional characters it is written 父親.
父亲
fù qīn
Father
What 父亲 means.
父亲 is the respectful word for father, used in writing and formal speech, while children say 爸爸. The single character 父 is the classical form.
- 父
- father
- 亲
- parent, dear one
Simplified and traditional
父亲
父親
Both are correct and mean the same. Traditional 父親 keeps the older, fuller shape that calligraphy grew up with; simplified 父亲 is what most Chinese readers use today. Our seal and clerical styles write it in the traditional form.
Pick the shade of meaning.
Chinese often has more than one word where English has one. Here is how they differ.
Meaning
父
fù
Father
- 父
- father
A single character for a small, simple tribute.
About father in Chinese
How do you write father in Chinese?
Father is 父亲 in Chinese, pronounced fù qīn. Father 父 means “father”, 亲 means “parent, dear one”.
How do you pronounce 父亲?
Say fù (fourth tone, falling), qīn (first tone, high and level). Mandarin tones change meaning, so it is worth listening to a native speaker once.
Is 父亲 different in traditional Chinese?
Yes. The traditional form is 父親, used in Taiwan, Hong Kong and classical calligraphy; 父亲 is the simplified form used in mainland China and Singapore. Both are correct.
What other Chinese words mean father?
父 (fù): Father A single character for a small, simple tribute.
Is 父亲 a good Chinese tattoo?
Yes, it is a real, everyday Chinese word rather than a machine translation, so Chinese readers will understand it. Keep the characters in their order, top to bottom or left to right, and never mirrored. Choose a readable style such as Kaishu, bring a clean reference to your artist, and show it to a fluent reader before your appointment.