How to Say ‘Father-in-law’ in Japanese
お義父さん
o tou san
[oh ghee-foo sahn]
🇯🇵 In Japan: Use [お義父さん] for your spouse's father or when referring to someone else's father-in-law politely. For your own father-in-law in a neutral explanation, Japanese often uses [義父] instead.
Phrase Breakdown
お
o
[oh]
honorific prefix
Adds politeness to family terms when referring respectfully to someone’s relative.
お義父さんはお元気ですか。
How is your father-in-law?
義父
tou
[ghee-foo]
father-in-law
Refers to a husband’s or wife’s father in a respectful way.
義父は最近忙しいです。
My father-in-law has been busy lately.
さん
san
[sahn]
Mr. / respectful suffix
A respectful suffix attached to people’s names or family roles.
お義父さんは庭が好きです。
My father-in-law likes gardening.
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