Word
Kana: おやじ Romaji: oyaji Level: N1

親父

Meaning in English

one's father, old man, one's boss

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Word context

What it means

What does 親父 mean? It denotes one's father in casual, informal speech. It refers to a close male parent, often used affectionately or familiarly, and can carry rough or rustic connotations depending on tone.

Main meanings

  • Casual, everyday term for one's own father, with affectionate or rough nuance
  • Used to refer to an older man in informal settings, not suitable for formal speech
  • Common in media and humor to portray a relatable, masculine elder figure

How to use it

Used in casual conversation among family and friends, particularly by men; not appropriate in formal writing or polite speech. It can express warmth, teasing, or rough familiarity when addressing or referring to one's father or an older man, and is common in manga, films, and everyday talk.

Variants and close terms

  • old man or dad — oyaji
  • father (neutral/formal) — chichioya
  • father figure in polite contexts via related terms — otousan

Composition

  • 親 = parent, close relationship; signals kinship
  • 父 = father; the core semantic element

Etymology

Etymology The word is a compound of 親 meaning parent and 父 meaning father, formed to denote a close familial male figure; the typical reading oyaji arises from kun readings of the kanji and its colloquial development.

Word class

noun (名詞)

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