papá
/paˈpa/masculine
papá is the Spanish word for dad.
papá is an informal noun used to refer to a father, similar to the English terms 'dad' or 'daddy'.
Meaning: informal: a father (noun)
Which one should you use?
papá is the informal term for 'dad', whereas padre is the more formal term used for 'father'.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Colombia, papá is an informal way to say 'dad'.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form papá is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/paˈpa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Be careful not to omit the accent on the final 'a'. Writing papa without the accent changes the meaning to 'potato' or 'the Pope'.
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, papá is used as a term of endearment for a son or a younger man, regardless of whether he is the speaker's child.
- Adding the diminutive suffix -ito creates papito, which can be used as a tender term for a father or as a flirtatious term for a handsome man.
- The term papá is a linguistic relative of the French papa, which likely originated from the simple, repetitive sounds infants use across many cultures when first learning to speak.
Examples in context
- Amo a mi papá.I love my dad.This sentence shows how to use papá to express affection.Tatoeba #3169823 by marcelostockle, translation #2549728 by CK
- Tom es mi papá.Tom is my dad.This sentence uses papá to identify someone's father.Tatoeba #2344904 by hayastan, translation #2273298 by CK
- Papá se puso bueno.Dad got better.This sentence uses papá to describe a father's health.Tatoeba #1370337 by Shishir, translation #10465403 by DJ_Saidez
- Yo amo a mi padre.I love my father.
- ¿Cómo está su padre?How is your dad?
- Voy al cine con mi papá.I'm going to the movies with my dad.
- Papá, ¿me puedes comprar un helado?Dad, could you buy me an ice cream?
- 141 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are talking about a family visit.
- Sofía¿Cuándo llega tu papá?When does your dad arrive?
- MateoMi papá llega mañana.My dad arrives tomorrow.
- Sofía¡Qué bueno! Me cae muy bien.That's great! I like him a lot.
- MateoA él también le caes bien.He likes you too.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dad” translations and entries papá, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries papá, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
