papá
/paˈpa/masculine
papá is the Spanish word for dad.
papá is an informal noun used to refer to a father.
Meaning: informal: a father (noun)
Which one should you use?
While papá is the informal equivalent of 'dad', the term padre is used when you want to be more formal, meaning 'father'. It is also important to note that papá includes an accent on the second 'a', whereas papa without the accent means 'potato' in many Spanish-speaking regions.
How does it change in a sentence?
papá is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/paˈpa/
Did you know?
- In some Caribbean-influenced Spanish dialects, the word papi is frequently used as a slang term between friends or even in romantic contexts, similar to how 'baby' or 'honey' is used in English.
- The word papá is an example of a 'nursery word', which are phonetic sounds easily produced by infants across many different languages.
- The word papá entered Spanish via French, following a pattern where many terms of endearment were borrowed from French during various historical periods of cultural influence.
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.Tatoeba #2344904 by hayastan, translation #2273298 by CK
- Papá se puso bueno.Dad got better.This sentence uses papá as a subject.Tatoeba #1370337 by Shishir, translation #10465403 by DJ_Saidez
- Buenos días, papá. ¿Cómo amaneció hoy?Good morning, dad. How are you today?
- Gracias, padre, por todo lo que has hecho por nuestra familia.Thank you, father, for everything you have done for our family.
- ¡Hola, papito! ¿Quieres que te ayude con algo?Hi, dad! Do you need help with something?
- ¡Felicidades, papi! Eres el mejor padre del mundo.Congratulations, dad! You're the best father in the world.
- 141 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
María and Alejandro are talking about their families at school.
- MaríaAlejandro, ¿viste a tu papá hoy?Alejandro, did you see your dad today?
- AlejandroNo, mi papá está trabajando.No, my dad is working.
- MaríaMi papá también está muy ocupado.My dad is also very busy.
- AlejandroEs normal para un papá trabajador.It is normal for a hardworking dad.
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.
