Japanese symbol for “dad”
お父さん
おとうさん
Romaji: otousan
father; dad; papa; pa
In Japanese, dad is お父さん, read おとうさん (otousan).
Before using these characters for a tattoo, check them with a native speaker. Dictionary words often have several meanings, and the right choice depends on context.
Meanings
- n father; dad; papa; pa; pop; daddy
- n husband
- pn you (of an elderly person older than the speaker); he; him
Written forms: お父さん、御父さん. Readings: おとうさん、おとっさん.
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “dad”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| パパ | パパ papa | dad; daddy; papa |
| 親父 | おやじ oyaji | one's father; one's old man; dad |
| 父 | ちゃん chan | dad; father |
| 父さん | とうさん tousan | father; dad; papa |
| 父ちゃん | とうちゃん touchan | dad; daddy; papa |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 父親 | ちちおや chichioya | father |
| 祖父 | そふ sofu | grandfather |
| 叔父 | おじ oji | uncle |
| 親父 | おやじ oyaji | one's father; one's old man; dad |
| 義父 | ぎふ gifu | father-in-law |
See also: Chinese symbol for “dad”.
Data: JMdict (CC BY-SA 4.0); KANJIDIC2 (CC BY-SA 4.0); KanjiVG (CC BY-SA 3.0); wordfreq (CC BY-SA 4.0 (data)). Retrieved 2026-10-22.