บิดา

Explanation

บิดา is a formal noun meaning “father.” It sounds more official and impersonal than the everyday word พ่อ. Its corresponding word for “mother” is มารดา. Together, บิดามารดา is a formal expression meaning “father and mother” or “parents.” The pattern บิดาแห่ง + field is also used to honor an important pioneer as the “father of” that field.

Usage

It commonly appears on government, school, hospital, and other official forms, as well as in legal writing, news reports, and biographies. Its figurative use is found in titles and descriptions honoring major pioneers.

Caution

Using บิดา for your own father in ordinary conversation can sound unusually stiff or distant. พ่อ is natural in everyday speech, while คุณพ่อ is a polite conversational option. บิดา alone means only “father,” not “parents.”

1 father [formal] synonyms

• คุณพ่อ

  คุณพ่อ is a polite conversational term and can be used when addressing or referring to a father. บิดา is generally not a form of address; it formally identifies someone as a father.

• พ่อ

  phɔ̂ɔ father

  พ่อ is the normal everyday word for “father” or “dad.” บิดา is more formal and impersonal and is common in official documents and formal writing.

2 father (of a field) synonyms

• ผู้ก่อตั้ง

  ผู้ก่อตั้ง means the person who actually established an organization or institution. บิดา is an honorific metaphor for someone who pioneered or profoundly shaped a field, even if they did not formally establish it.