English · Proverb Candidate

like father like son

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: like father, like son

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Alternative form of like father, like son.

Where it’s used: Used American English

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A son's behavior or characteristics are similar to his father's

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Con giống cha

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: comparison of family members

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

Examples

The son's reckless spending is just like father like son

AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

Sources & notes

Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.

Equivalents & related

Near equivalent cha nào, con nấy Like father, like son. Tiếng Việt Near equivalent cha nào, con nấy like father, like son Tiếng Việt Near equivalent live and let live Respect others' choices and opinions, even if different from yours English · via cha nào, con nấy

Lighter cards are two steps away in the meaning graph — equivalents of equivalents, reached via the entry shown on the card.

Topics: Family

Common questions

What does “like father like son” mean?

Alternative form of like father, like son.

Is “like father like son” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.

What is the closest equivalent?

“cha nào, con nấy” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.