بابا
bâbâ/baː.ˈbaː/
بابا (bâbâ) is the Persian word for dad.
بابا is a commonly used term for 'dad' in casual family conversations.
Meaning: informal: a father (noun)
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
بابا is an informal and affectionate way to address a father. For more formal situations, use پدر. You can also add the word جان (jân) after بابا to create the affectionate phrase بابا جان, which means 'dear dad'.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation is /baː.ˈbaː/. It has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 2 of 2 syllable.
Did you know?
- While بابا means 'dad', the term بابا was historically used as a title of respect for elderly men, spiritual leaders or Sufi masters in various Persian-speaking regions.
- While بابا is used for 'dad', it is also frequently used as a filler word or an exclamation like 'man' or 'hey' in casual, colloquial Persian.
- Adding the word جان to بابا creates بابا جان, but جان literally means 'soul' or 'life' rather than just 'dear'.
Examples in context
- سلام بابا، حالت خوبه؟Hi, dad, how are you?
- بابا جان، غذایی که پختم خوشمزه شده؟Dad, is the food I cooked delicious?
- بابا کجاست؟bābā kojāst?Where is dad?
- بابا برای من کادو خرید.bābā barāye man kādo kharid.Dad bought a gift for me.
Example conversation
Two siblings are talking at home about their father.
- رضا Rezaزهرا، بابا کی می‌آد؟Zahra, bābā key miād?Zahra, when is dad coming?
- زهرا Zahraفکر کنم ساعت شش بیاد.fekr konam sā'at-e shesh biād.I think he will come at six o'clock.
- رضا Rezaپس من به بابا زنگ می‌زنم.pas man be bābā zang mizanam.Then I will call dad.
- زهرا Zahraباشه، حتماً بهش بگو.bāshe, hatman behesh begu.Okay, definitely tell him.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry بابا, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
