How to Write 爹 (diē) — Meaning “Dad; father (informal or dialectal).”

Picture a father (父) standing proudly because he has many (多) children—that is your dad 爹. This visual of "a father with many kids" makes the character easy to recall.

Write the top 父 first with correct stroke order: left-falling, dot, left-falling, right-falling. Then write 多 below it—make sure the two 夕 parts are balanced and not too wide. A common mistake is making the bottom 多 too big, which looks messy.

While both mean "dad," 爸 is the standard, formal term used in most of China, especially on its own. 爹 is more dialectal and informal, often heard in northern regions or in historical contexts. Visually, 爸 has 父 on top with 巴 below, while 爹 uses 多 below 父.

Today 爹 appears mainly in informal or regional speech, particularly in northern dialects, or in set terms like 爹爹 (diē die) for "daddy." In standard Mandarin, people usually say 爸爸 (bàba) instead, but 爹 is still common in rural areas and in traditional family terms like 爹妈 (parents).

Common words containing 爹 include: 爹爹 (diē diē) — Daddy; father.; 爹妈 (diē mā) — Mom and Dad; parents.; 亲爹 (qīn diē) — biological father.