TongTong
Sign in

教父 (jiào fù) — (noun) godfather (in Christian baptism); (noun) godfather (mafia boss)

Definition

Literally 'teaching father,' 教父 refers to a Christian baptism sponsor and is also the standard word for a mafia boss (popularized by the novel/film The Godfather).

noun
godfather (in Christian baptism)godfather (mafia boss)
Measure word · 个

Examples

  • 教父。
    Tā de jiào fù zài jiào táng lǐ gěi tā xǐ lǐ.
    His godfather baptized him in the church.
  • 教父。
    Zhè bù diàn yǐng jiǎng de shì yí gè hēi shǒu dǎng jiào fù de gù shi.
    This movie tells the story of a mafia godfather.
  • 教父。
    Tā qǐng tā de jiào fù lái cān jiā tā de hūn lǐ.
    He invited his godfather to attend his wedding.

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.

教jiàoreligion
父fùfather

教 relates to teaching or faith and 父 means father, so it denotes a father in faith.

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.

Meaning part形符xíngfú
子子zǐchild
攵Written in full as攴pūteaching cane; stick that represents authority
Sound part声符shēngfú
爻
爻yáo教jiào
The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

教 uses 爻 for its sound and puts 子 (child) with 攵 (攴), a teaching cane, to show teaching a child.

Open 教 →

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 →
Appears in
Family & KinshipReligion & Belief

Browse more HSK 7-9 words or search the full 43,000-word dictionary.