Meaning of 爸爸
Definitions from CC-CEDICT.
- (coll.) father; dad
Measure word: 位
How to use 爸爸
爸爸 is the everyday word for dad, used both when talking about your father and when calling to him directly. It is warm and informal, the way most Chinese children and adults address their fathers. Example: 我爸爸是老师。(Wǒ bàba shì lǎoshī.) My dad is a teacher.
爸 (bà) has 父 (fù, father) on top and 巴 (bā) below, which gives the sound. Picture father 父 standing over his child, and say it twice like a toddler: 爸爸.
Common mistake: The second 爸 is in the neutral tone, so say bàba, not bàbà with two heavy falling tones. Also, do not confuse the bottom part 巴 with 已 or 己, which look similar but are different components.
爸爸 in example sentences
Real sentences from the Tatoeba project, with pinyin and English.
Stroke order for each character
Open a character for its meaning, components and more words.
爸 bà · father · 8 strokes
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爸 bà · father · 8 strokes
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Related words
Words that share a character with 爸爸.
Questions about 爸爸
What does 爸爸 mean?
爸爸 (bàba) means "(coll.) father; dad" and is used as a noun.
How do you write 爸爸?
爸爸 is made of 2 characters: 爸 (8 strokes), 爸 (8 strokes). That is 16 strokes in total.
Is 爸爸 an HSK word?
Yes. 爸爸 is on the HSK 1 vocabulary list of the HSK 3.0 standard.
What is the difference between 爸爸 and 父亲?
爸爸 (bàba) is casual and used in daily speech and when calling your dad. 父亲 (fùqīn) is formal and appears more in writing, speeches, or official contexts. You would not normally call out 父亲 to your dad at home.
How do I say "my dad" naturally in Chinese?
You can say 我爸爸 (wǒ bàba) or simply 我爸 (wǒ bà). With close family words, Chinese usually drops 的, so 我的爸爸 sounds less natural in casual speech. Among friends, 老爸 (lǎobà) is a playful, affectionate option.