How to Say “My godfather” in Chinese
Relationships and family · HSK 4
"My godfather" in Chinese is 我的教父 (wǒ de jiào fù). Here's where Chinese and Western culture really diverge. 教父 (jiào fù) is the literal translation used for Catholic baptismal godfathers or mafia movies; the Godfather film is 《教父》.
Primary translation
我的教父
wǒ de jiào fù
Variants by register
Formal
我的教父
wǒ de jiào fù
Casual
我干爹
wǒ gān diē
When to use it
Here's where Chinese and Western culture really diverge. 教父 (jiào fù) is the literal translation used for Catholic baptismal godfathers or mafia movies; the Godfather film is 《教父》. But traditional Chinese culture has its own version: 干爹 (gān diē) or 干爸 (gān bà), a 'dry father'; a non-biological father figure formalized through a ceremony or just mutual agreement. It's a real, functional relationship, not religious. If you're explaining a Western godfather to Chinese family, 教父 works; if you have a Chinese uncle figure, use 干爹. Note: 干爹 has picked up some unsavory slang associations online (sugar daddy), so context matters.
Example sentences
我的教父是我父亲最好的朋友。
Wǒ de jiào fù shì wǒ fù qīn zuì hǎo de péng yǒu.
My godfather is my father's best friend.
我干爹从小就很疼我。
Wǒ gān diē cóng xiǎo jiù hěn téng wǒ.
My godfather has doted on me since I was little.
每年春节我都会去看望我的教父。
Měi nián chūn jié wǒ dōu huì qù kàn wàng wǒ de jiào fù.
Every Spring Festival I visit my godfather.