| 父 fù |
| father ; dad |
| 父亲 fù qīn |
| 父母 fù mǔ | |
Originally, it was a hand holding a stone axe, symbolizing a laboring man, e.g. 田父 means “farmer”. Later, it began to indicate “father”. It is also the general address for elder members of the family, e.g. 祖父, grandfather, and 叔父, uncles. |