father

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 父 has 4 strokes and appears in words for a father or other relatives.
• Basic usage: 父 is read ちち, and 叔父 is read おじ.

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• A father and an uncle
  • 父と古い机を修理しました means repairing an old desk with one's father.
  • 叔父は父より三歳若く means that the uncle is three years younger than the father.
  • 叔父 refers to a parent's younger brother or the husband of a parent's younger sister. The whole word is read おじ.