父子

• Pinyin: fù zǐ
• Hanzi breakdown: 父 = hand holding a stick, authority figure; 子 = pictograph of a swaddled baby — father and son

Meaning

Father and son. The relationship between a male parent and his male child.

A fundamental kinship term in Chinese culture, historically significant due to patrilineal traditions. Common phrases: 父子关系 (father-son relationship), 父子情 (father-son bond), 父子兵 (father-son soldiers, meaning family working together). In Confucian ethics, the father-son relationship is one of the five cardinal relationships (五伦).

Examples

1. 这对父子一起经营着一家百年老店，传承着祖传的手艺。 This father and son run a century-old shop together, carrying on their ancestral craft.
2. 父子俩虽然性格迥异，但感情一直很好。 Although the father and son have very different personalities, their relationship has always been good.
3. 他们父子三代都是医生，医术精湛远近闻名。 Three generations of their family — father, son, and grandson — are all doctors, famous far and wide for their excellent medical skills.

Usage Guide

Context: family, tradition, stories

Tone: respectful

Do Say

• 父子同心，其利断金。(When father and son are of one mind, their strength can cut through metal.)
• 这是一个关于父子和解的故事。(This is a story about reconciliation between father and son.)

Don't Say

• 泛指所有孩子时用父子 (Don't use 父子 when referring to fathers with daughters — use 父女 for daughters or 父亲和孩子 for children in general)

Origin & History

Compound of 父 (father) + 子 (son, child). One of the most basic kinship terms in Chinese.

Cultural Context

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal