お父さん

Japanese
Kanji in this term
父
とう
Grade: 2
kun’yomi
Alternative spelling
御父さん

Etymology

Originally a compound of 御 (o-, “honorific prefix”) +‎ 父 (toto, “father”) +‎ 様 (-sama, “honorific suffix”).[1][2]

/ototosama/ → /otottsan/ → /otossan/

The /otossan/ → /otoosan/ progression was artificial; regular Japanese sound changes generally would not allow this shift. The /otoosan/ form first appears in the early Meiji period in educational materials mandated by the 文部省 (Monbushō, “Ministry of Education”).[1][2]

Pronunciation
    • (Tokyo) おと​ーさん [òtóꜜòsàǹ] (Nakadaka – [2])[2]
    • IPA(key): [o̞to̞ːsã̠ɴ]

    Noun

    お父(とう)さん • (otōsan) 

    1. (honorific) father
      Synonyms: (only used to talk about one's own father) 父 (ちち, chichi), (more general and impersonal) 父親 (ちちおや, chichioya), (more formal) 父上 (ちちうえ, chichiue), (more informal, similar to old man) 親父 (おやじ, oyaji), (Kagoshima) おやっどん (oyaddon)

    Usage notes

    This term is used to describe someone's father. For father in the more general sense of male parent, use the term 父親 (chichioya) instead.

    Descendants
    • Min Nan: 多桑 (tò-sàng) (Taiwanese)

    References
    1. Shōgaku Tosho (1988) 国語大辞典（新装版） [Unabridged Dictionary of Japanese (Revised Edition)] (in Japanese), Tōkyō: Shogakukan, →ISBN
    2. Matsumura, Akira, editor (2006), 大辞林 [Daijirin] (in Japanese), Third edition, Tōkyō: Sanseidō, →ISBN
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