‘Bófù’ (伯父) is a respectful term for one’s father’s older brother. The first character ‘bó’ (伯) means ‘eldest’ or ‘first-born’ and historically denotes seniority among brothers; the second character ‘fù’ (父) means ‘father’. Together, they literally convey ‘elder father’ — emphasizing both familial relationship and hierarchical respect within traditional Chinese kinship. This term reflects Confucian values of age-based hierarchy and filial reverence.

‘Bófù’ is used in direct address (e.g., when speaking to him) or third-person reference (e.g., talking about him to others). It is never used for maternal uncles — those are called ‘jiùfu’ (舅父) or ‘jiùjiu’ (舅舅). In modern urban families, some younger speakers may use ‘bófù’ more loosely for any paternal uncle, but strictly speaking, it applies only to the eldest brother of one’s father. Honorifics like this remain common in formal family settings, holiday gatherings, and written communication such as letters or wedding invitations.