Late Father

[Flaminius]

Hello Chinese Forum,

What is the word for one's late father? I've sometimes come across 先妣 as one's late mother and wonder if there is a word for father that makes a pair with it.

 

[BODYholic]

先父 It is very formal and almost not use in contemporary Chinese.

 

[Flaminius]

Thanks. I have found one myself too; 先考.

Which one makes a better pair with 先妣? Is it 先父先妣 or 先考先妣?

 

[englishelp]

My goodness.
I do not even know the other two, except"先父".
I am sure 先妣 and 先考 are legitimate words. But I just do not know what they mean.
Someone more pedantic might be able to help.

 

[zoogoo]

考:原指父亲，后多指已死的父亲(先考)。如丧考妣:像死了父母一样伤心。

 

[Flaminius]

Thanks, zoogoo. Could you provide the source for me (It is a good idea even if the material is not on the 'Net)?

An idiom like 如丧考妣 suggests that 先考 and 先妣 are a pair. Good to know.

 

[zoogoo]

You can find it on the website of 新华字典 by searching on baidu

 

[fffa4lulua]

The words 考 and 妣 are only use formally (in written form) and not use in colloquial Chinese (people may say the idiom 如丧考妣, but not common)
So I think 先父 is the best way to translate late father.
The words (先)考 and (先)妣 are usually for funeral and for tombstone.

 

[zoogoo]

Actually we don't use 先考 先妣 often,but we do use 如丧考妣 in some cases.I know the idiom because it is a required word in the College Entrance Examination.

 

[coconutpalm]

先考and先妣 were used in the past on formal occasions.
亡父 is another choice.