继父
jì fù · HSK 7
stepfather
👨 继 = succeeding/following + 父 = father → the father who comes next
继 means to follow on or inherit (as in 继续 to continue), and 父 is father. A 继父 is the father who follows the first one — the one who comes next after remarriage.
继 — silk radical 糹 + 㡭 (continuous threads)
继 means 'to continue' or 'succeed (to)'. The silk radical 糹 evokes threads being joined, while the right side 㡭 originally depicted unbroken strands of silk. Together they suggest splicing threads — extending what came before, hence inheriting or carrying on.