Definition

1. Noun:
   • Father-in-law (wife's father): The father of one's wife. This term is used specifically by a husband to refer to his wife's father.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Tôi rất quý bố vợ tôi. (I am very fond of my father-in-law.)
  • Bố vợ anh ấy là một bác sĩ. (His father-in-law is a doctor.)
  • Cuối tuần này, chúng tôi sẽ đi thăm bố vợ. (This weekend, we will visit my father-in-law.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "bố vợ" is used exclusively from the perspective of the husband. The wife would refer to the same person as "bố" (father) or "bố đẻ" (biological father).
• It denotes a family relationship through marriage, not by blood.

Variants and Related Words

• Bố chồng (n): Father-in-law (husband's father). The father of one's husband.
• Mẹ vợ (n): Mother-in-law (wife's mother).
• Bố mẹ vợ (n): Parents-in-law (wife's parents).
• Cha vợ (n): A more formal or literary synonym for "bố vợ".
• Nhạc phụ (n): A formal, respectful term for father-in-law (can refer to either wife's or husband's father, but context usually clarifies).

Synonyms

• Cha vợ (n): Father-in-law (wife's father). Slightly more formal.
• Nhạc phụ (n): Father-in-law (formal term).

Notes on Meaning

• "Bố vợ" refers to one specific familial role: the wife's father as seen by her husband.
• It is distinct from "bố chồng" (husband's father). In English, both are translated as "father-in-law," so the specific Vietnamese term clarifies the exact relationship.
• This term is part of the Vietnamese kinship terminology, which often has specific words for relationships based on gender and lineage, making it more precise than the English counterpart.