पापा
pāpā/pɑː.pɑː/
In Hindi, पापा (pāpā) is the word for papa.
पापा is an informal word used by a child or an adult to address or refer to their father.
Which one should you use?
While पापा is a common informal term, पिता (pita) is the more formal and standard Hindi word for father.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
पापा is an informal and intimate way to address a father, commonly used by children and adults in modern urban settings. For more formal or respectful situations, you can use पिता (pita), the honorific Pitaji or the elevated and traditional Pitashri. You can also add respect to the informal term by saying Papa Ji.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /pɑː.pɑː/. It is romanized as pāpā.
Did you know?
- In Hindi, the word पाप (paap), which sounds almost identical to पापा (papa), means 'sin'.
- While पापा is widely used in cities, it is actually a borrowed word from English or Persian rather than an ancient Sanskrit root.
- In some Hindi-speaking families, a father might be called अब्बा (abba) if the family follows Islamic traditions, which is a different linguistic lineage than पापा.
Examples in context
- मेरे पापा दफ़्तर गए हैं।mere papa daftar gaye hain.My papa has gone to the office.
- पापा, क्या आप मेरे साथ चलेंगे?papa, kya aap mere saath chalenge?Papa, will you come with me?
- वह अपने पापा से बहुत प्यार करती है।vah apne papa se bahut pyar karti hai.She loves her papa very much.
Example conversation
Neha is asking Vikas about his father's arrival.
- नेहा Nehaक्या पापा आ गए?Kya papa aa gaye?Has Papa come?
- विकास Vikasहाँ, वह अभी आए हैं।Haan, vah abhi aaye hain.Yes, he just arrived.
- नेहा Nehaमैं पापा को बुलाती हूँ।Main papa ko bulati hoon.I will call Papa.
- विकास Vikasठीक है, जाओ।Theek hai, jao.Okay, go.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry पापा, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries पापा, CC BY-SA 4.0.
