papa
/pa.pa/masculine
The French word for daddy is papa.
papa is the most common and endearing term for daddy in French. It is a masculine noun used in informal and often childish contexts.
Meaning: (informal, usually childish) father (noun)
Which one should you use?
While papa is the equivalent of daddy, the word père is the standard word for father used in more formal or adult contexts.
How does it change in a sentence?
papa is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/pa.pa/
When do people say it?
A playful variation of this is papounet, which is used among children or between partners.
Did you know?
- In some French-speaking regions, particularly in parts of Africa, papa can be used as a respectful title for an older man or a community leader, even if there is no biological relation.
- The word papa is shared across many Romance languages, such as Spanish and Italian, because they all evolved from a similar Latin-based child-speak.
- In some traditional French families, adult children continue to call their father papa well into adulthood to signal an emotional closeness that père lacks.
Examples in context
- Il est où papa ?Where's my daddy?This sentence is useful for asking where papa is.Tatoeba #12150046 by zogwarg, translation #2254634 by CK
- Papa, je t'aime !Daddy, I love you!This sentence is useful for expressing love to papa.Tatoeba #5230593 by michelnialon, translation #2075226 by Vened
- Papa est de retour.Daddy is back.This sentence is useful for stating that papa has returned.Tatoeba #12256253 by Orange, translation #12256252 by Orange
- Papa, tu es le meilleur!Daddy, you're the best!
- Papet, j'ai hâte de te voir!Daddy, I can't wait to see you!
- 19 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
A young girl and boy are playing in the living room.
- ManonEst-ce que papa arrive bientôt ?Is daddy coming soon?
- NathanOui, il arrive bientôt.Yes, he is coming soon.
- ManonJe veux jouer avec papa.I want to play with daddy.
- NathanManon, sois patiente.Manon, be patient.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “daddy” translations and entries papa, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
