väterlich

fatherly

adjective FAY-ter-likh Less Common

Also means

paternal

Usage Note

väterlich means fatherly or paternal, from Vater (father) with the umlaut and the -lich suffix. Compare mütterlich (motherly) and elterlich (parental). It describes warmth or authority, as in väterlicher Rat (fatherly advice).

Examples

"Er gab mir einen väterlichen Rat."

Natural Translation

He gave me some fatherly advice.

Literal Translation

He gave me a fatherly advice.

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