papi
affectionate
The warm way to say "daddy" in Venezuela is papi. Smaller children also say papito, and papá is the everyday neutral word.
Meaning: affectionate word for father (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | Note |
|---|---|
| papi | affectionate |
| Papá | neutral |
| Papito | very tender |
Children call their father papi in daily life, and many keep doing so as adults. It is a family word.
Which one should you use?
Outside the family, papi can also be a flirty term used between adults, so use it only when the meaning is clearly "dad".
How does it change in a sentence?
The ending -ito adds affection: papá becomes papito.
Did you know?
- Spanish uses the ending -ito to turn many nouns into affectionate forms, a habit Venezuelans use a lot.
Examples in context
- ¡Papi, mira lo que dibujé!Daddy, look what I drew!
- Papito, ¿me cargas?Daddy, will you carry me?
- Mi papá llega a las seis.My dad arrives at six.
Example conversation
Little Valentina runs to the door when her father comes home.
- Valentina¡Papi, llegaste!Daddy, you are home!
- PapiHola, mi princesa.Hello, my princess.
- ValentinaMira mi dibujo.Look at my drawing.
