父亲
fùqīn · HSK 3
father
👨👧 父 (father) + 亲 (kin/relative) = father-kin, i.e. dad
父 alone means father; 亲 means kin or close relative and softens it into the everyday word for dad. Compare 母亲 mǔqīn (mother) — same 亲 suffix marking a close family member.
亲 — 立 (stand) + 木 (tree); simplified from 親
The traditional form 親 combined 亲 (phonetic, depicting a hazelnut tree) with 見 (see), suggesting closeness through frequent seeing of family. In simplified Chinese, 見 was dropped, leaving 亲. It now means 'parent,' 'intimate,' or 'in person,' and as qìng denotes in-laws.