How to Say "Dad" in Icelandic

pabbi

[ˈpʰap(ː)ɪ]masculine

The English word 'dad' is translated into Icelandic as pabbi.

pabbi is used to refer to a father in an informal or colloquial way, similar to saying 'dad' or 'daddy' in English.

Meaning: informal: a father (noun)

Which one should you use?

pabbi is the common, informal way to say 'dad', whereas faðir is the more formal term for 'father'.

pabbi is a colloquial and informal noun. The term faðir is a formal way to say father in Icelandic.

The word pabbi changes to pabba when it is the direct object of a sentence. The plural form of pabbi is pabbar.

The word pabbi is an onomatopoeic term, meaning its sound mimics the primitive, easy-to-pronounce syllables that a baby would naturally make when first attempting to speak.
While English speakers often use 'Daddy' as a diminutive for a small child, calling your father pabbi in Iceland remains perfectly normal even as an adult.
While pabbi is the informal term, the formal word faðir is used in the Icelandic National Anthem to refer to the 'father' of the land.

Hvar er pabbi?
Where is dad?
This sentence shows how to use pabbi when asking for a location.
Tatoeba #11537170 by nipbud, translation #6140593 by Barra
Mamma er eldri en pabbi.
Mom is older than Dad.
This sentence uses pabbi to compare ages.
Tatoeba #482418 by Swift, translation #482368 by adjusting
Þetta er húsið þar sem pabbi vinnur.
This is the house where Dad works.
This sentence uses pabbi to describe a place of work.
Tatoeba #664699 by Swift, translation #9673058 by ravensfeather
Ég er mjög þakklátur fyrir alla stuðning sem faðir minn hefur gefið mér.
I am very grateful for all the support my dad has given me.
2 more sentences on Tatoeba

Gunnar and Sigríður are talking about their father.

Sources

Wiktionary, “dad” translations and entries pabbi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
Word origins: Wiktionary entries pabbi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.

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