mein Vater
/maɪ̯n ˈfaːtər/word by word
The English phrase "my father" is translated into German as mein Vater.
Use this phrase to refer to the male parent of the speaker.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
mein Vater is the standard way to say "my father". In informal settings, or when spoken by children, the term Papa is often used to mean "dad" or "daddy".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase changes depending on its role in a sentence. Use meinen Vater when it is the direct object (accusative case). Use meinem Vater when it is the indirect object (dative case). Use meines Vaters to indicate possession or when using the genitive case. To refer to more than one person, the plural form is meine Väter.
How do you pronounce it?
/maɪ̯n ˈfaːtər/
Did you know?
- While mein Vater is the translation for 'my father', the German word Vater is also used as a title of respect for an older man in some traditional regional dialects, even if he is not the speaker's parent.
- In German, the word Vater is a noun, so it must always be capitalized, no matter where it appears in a sentence.
- The word Vater is a linguistic sibling to the English word 'father'. Both words trace back to the same Proto-Indo-European root, meaning they are distant relatives.
Examples in context
- Wo ist mein Vater?Where's my father?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of mein Vater.Tatoeba #1959338 by Zaghawa, translation #2254638 by CK
- Du bist mein Vater.You are my father.This sentence is useful for identifying someone as mein Vater.Tatoeba #1126608 by Esperantostern, translation #1097991 by cntrational
- Tom ist mein Vater.Tom is my father.Tatoeba #2349767 by Espi, translation #2273304 by CK
- Mein Vater ist ein liebevoller Mann.My father is a loving man.
- Ich danke meinem Vater für seine Unterstützung.I thank my father for his support.
- Mein Papa hat mir beim Umzug geholfen.My dad helped me with the move.
- Papi, ich liebe dich!Dad, I love you!
- Ich bin stolz auf meinen Vater.I am proud of my father.
- Mein Vater wohnt in Berlin.My father lives in Berlin.
- Papa, kannst du mir dein Auto leihen?Dad, can you lend me your car?
- Mein Vater kocht die besten Pfannkuchen.My dad cooks the best pancakes.
- 733 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sarah and Julian are talking about family photos in an album.
- SarahDas ist mein Vater.That is my father.
- JulianEr sieht sehr nett aus.He looks very nice.
- SarahJa, mein Vater ist ein toller Mensch.Yes, my father is a great person.
- JulianDas freut mich für dich.I am happy for you.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (mein, Vater) and can differ in connected speech.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries Vater, mein, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
