Japanese symbol for “stepfather”
義父
ぎふ
Romaji: gifu
father-in-law
In Japanese, stepfather is 義父, read ぎふ (gifu).
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-in-law
- n foster father
- n stepfather
Kanji and stroke order
Other Japanese words for “stepfather”
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 継父 | けいふ keifu | stepfather |
| 義理の父 | ぎりのちち girinochichi | father-in-law; foster father; stepfather |
| お義父さん | おとうさん otousan | stepfather |
Related words
Words that share a kanji.
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 主義 | しゅぎ shugi | doctrine; rule; principle |
| 正義 | せいぎ seigi | justice; right; righteousness |
| 義務 | ぎむ gimu | duty; obligation; responsibility |
| 定義 | ていぎ teigi | definition |
| 意義 | いぎ igi | meaning; significance |
| 講義 | こうぎ kougi | lecture |
| 父親 | ちちおや chichioya | father |
| お父さん | おとうさん otousan | father; dad; papa |
See also: Chinese symbol for “stepfather”.
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.