hola, papá
/ˈola paˈpa/word by word
The English phrase "hello father" is translated into Spanish as hola, papá.
This phrase is a greeting used when speaking to one's father. The term papá is the most common and straightforward way to say "dad" in Spanish.
Which one should you use?
The form hola, papá is an informal way to say "hello, dad" or "hello, father" used with one's own parent. In contrast, using hola, padre is a more formal or distant way to say "hello, father" than the affectionate papá.
How does it change in a sentence?
When writing the word for dad, you must include an accent on the final á in papá. This is necessary to distinguish it from papa, which means "potato" or refers to "the Pope".
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈola paˈpa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not forget the accent on the final á in papá. Without it, the word changes meaning to "potato" or "the Pope".
Did you know?
- The greeting hola may have roots in an Old High German command used to hail ferrymen, essentially meaning 'hey, stop'.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, greeting a father often involves a physical gesture like a kiss on the cheek or a hug, regardless of the child's age.
- While papá is common, some regions use papi as an affectionate term for a father or even a young son.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola papá! Te extrañé mucho.Hello, dad! I missed you so much.
- ¡Hola, papá! ¿Cómo estás?Hello, dad! How are you?
- ¡Saludos, padre! ¿Cómo ha ido tu día?Greetings, father! How has your day been?
- Hola, papá, ¿cómo estás?Hello, dad, how are you?
- Hola, papá, ¡qué alegría verte!Hello, dad, what a joy to see you!
- ¡Hola, papá! ¿Trajiste el pan?Hello, dad! Did you bring the bread?
Example conversation
María greets her father as he arrives home.
- MaríaHola, papá, bienvenido a casa.Hello, dad, welcome home.
- MateoGracias, hija, estoy muy cansado.Thanks, daughter, I am very tired.
- MaríaTe prepararé algo de comer ahora.I will prepare something for you to eat now.
- MateoEres muy amable, María.You are very kind, María.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (hola, papá) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hola, papá, CC BY-SA 4.0.
