tata
Latin, masculine
The Croatian word for "dad" is tata.
tata is used as an informal way to refer to a father.
Meaning: informal: a father (noun)
Which one should you use?
While tata is the informal equivalent of "dad", otac is the more formal term used for "father".
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
tata is an informal, affectionate term used by children and within families, similar to "dad" or "daddy" in English. In contrast, otac is the formal way to say "father".
How does it change in a sentence?
tata is a masculine noun and follows standard masculine declension patterns in Croatian.
Did you know?
- While otac is the formal word for 'father', using it to address your own dad directly can sound cold or intentionally sarcastic.
- The word tata is a linguistic sibling to the words for 'dad' in Russian and Polish, as it is inherited from the Proto-Slavic root *tata.
- Because tata relies on the 't' sound, which is one of the first sounds human infants can produce, it is categorized as a 'nursery word'.
Examples in context
- Tata se rano vratio kući.Dad came home early.This sentence shows how to use tata to describe someone coming home.Tatoeba #4701387 by b_ana_na, translation #4701374 by adamtrousers
- Ako mama ne dođe, čekaj da te tata odveze doma.If mom doesn't come, wait for dad to drive you home.This sentence shows how to use tata in the context of being driven home.Tatoeba #13768549 by lostmindRH, translation #13768550 by lostmindRH
- Oče, hvala ti na svemuDad, thank you for everything
- Stari, imaš vremena za šetnju?Dad, do you have time for a walk?
- Moj tata je jako visok.My dad is very tall.
Example conversation
Mateo and Petra are talking about their weekend plans.
- MateoJe li tata slobodan u subotu?Is dad free on Saturday?
- PetraMislim da radi do kasno.I think he is working late.
- MateoŽao mi je, tata bi trebao pomoći.That's a shame, dad should help.
- PetraPitaj ga kasnije večeras.Ask him later tonight.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “dad” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries tata, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
