義 父(ぎふ)

ぎふ

noun

father-in-law; stepfather

formalfamily

See also: 義理(ぎり)の父(ちち) (colloquial equivalent)

1. father-in-law

One's spouse's father.

義父(ぎふ)は会社(かいしゃ)を経営(けいえい)している。

My father-in-law runs a company.

義父(ぎふ)と一緒(いっしょ)に釣(つ)りに行(い)った。

I went fishing together with my father-in-law.

結婚(けっこん)して初(はじ)めて義父(ぎふ)に会(あ)った。

I met my father-in-law for the first time after getting married.

2. stepfather

A man married to one's mother who is not one's biological father.

義父(ぎふ)に育(そだ)てられた。

I was raised by my stepfather.

母(はは)が再婚(さいこん)して、義父(ぎふ)ができた。

My mother remarried, and I got a stepfather.

義父(ぎふ)とは血(ち)のつながりはないが、本当(ほんとう)の親子(おやこ)のように仲(なか)が良(よ)い。

I'm not related to my stepfather by blood, but we get along like a real parent and child.

Terms of address

While 義父(ぎふ) is the formal/written term, in conversation people typically address their father-in-law as:

お義父(とう)さん - most common (same pronunciation as the ordinary word for "father")
義理(ぎり)のお父(とう)さん - explicit "in-law's father"

Usage

義父(ぎふ) is more commonly used in:

Written documents
Speaking about (not to) one's father-in-law
Formal contexts

The ぎ- prefix indicates a family relationship through marriage rather than blood. Contrast 養父(ようふ), which is used for an adoptive father.

FAMILY TERMS WITH THE ぎ- PREFIX:

義母(ぎぼ) - mother-in-law
義兄(ぎけい) - brother-in-law (older)
義弟(ぎてい) - brother-in-law (younger)
義姉(ぎし) - sister-in-law (older)
義妹(ぎまい) - sister-in-law (younger)

Related Words

Related: 義母(ぎぼ) (mother-in-law)

Compare: 父(ちち) (father (biological))

Compare: 養父(ようふ) (adoptive father)

Related: 義兄(ぎけい) (brother-in-law (older))

Related: 継父(ままちち) (stepfather)

Related: 実父(じっぷ) (biological father)

general

Added 2026.1.18 13:42 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:01

06500/06725_gifu