HSK Guide

父 Radical 88 — father; an elder male relative

fù (fourth tone, falling)

father; an elder male relative

Radical 884 strokes1 characters

Where the shape comes from

A hand gripping a stone axe, raised to strike: the man who does the heavy work and holds authority in the household. The two crossing strokes at the top are the tool, the two below the arm that swings it. It heads 爸 and 爷, and it stands at the head of 父亲 and 父母.