Definition

1. Noun:
   • Adoptive father: A man who legally and socially raises and cares for a child who is not his biological offspring. This term is now considered old-fashioned or literary in modern Vietnamese.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Ông ấy là dưỡng phụ của tôi. (He is my adoptive father.)
  • Dưỡng phụ đã chăm sóc tôi từ khi tôi còn nhỏ. (My adoptive father has taken care of me since I was little.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "dưỡng phụ" is primarily found in historical, literary, or formal contexts. In contemporary, everyday Vietnamese, the more common and neutral terms are "bố nuôi" or "cha nuôi".

Variants and Related Words

• Dưỡng mẫu (noun): Adoptive mother. (Also an old-fashioned term, with "mẹ nuôi" being the modern equivalent.)
• Dưỡng tử (noun): Adopted son.
• Dưỡng nữ (noun): Adopted daughter.
• Con nuôi (noun): Adopted child.
• Nhận làm con nuôi (verb phrase): To adopt (a child).

Synonyms

• Bố nuôi (noun): Adoptive father. (Modern, common term.)
• Cha nuôi (noun): Adoptive father. (Modern, common term.)

Notes on Usage

• "Dưỡng phụ" carries a formal and respectful tone, similar to the English "adoptive father." However, due to its archaic nature ("cũ"), it is rarely used in casual conversation today.
• The concept is distinct from "bố dượng" (stepfather), which refers to a man who marries one's mother but has not legally adopted the child.

1. (cũ) Adoptive father