义父 (yì fù) — adoptive father; foster father (non-biological father)

Definition

Formal term for 'adoptive father' — used mainly in writing, sworn-brotherhood (结义), and classic novels like 三国演义, where 义 stresses the bond of loyalty rather than biology.

noun
adoptive fatherfoster father (non-biological father)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 义父。
    Tā de yì fù duì tā hěn hǎo.
    His adoptive father treats him very well.
  • 义父。
    Wǒ yì fù jīn nián liù shí suì le.
    My adoptive father is sixty years old this year.
  • 义父？
    Nǐ yì fù shì zuò shén me gōng zuò de?
    What does your adoptive father do for work?

Origin

Compound word
构词法gòucífǎ
偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

义yìadoptive
父fùfather

义 gives adoptive, and 父 gives father.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 義; 义 is its simplified writing.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
羊羊yáng
Sound part声符shēngfú
我
我wǒ義yì
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 義 has 我 giving the sound and 羊 meaning good or auspicious; the simplified 义 is a later abbreviation.

Open 义 →

A drawing of the thing itself, worn down over three thousand years into a few strokes.

The shape 父 shows a hand holding a stone blade, referring to a man working with a stone axe.

Open 父 →

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