¿cómo se llama tu papá?
/ˈkomo se ˈʝama tu paˈpa/word by word
The English phrase "what is your father's name?" is translated into Spanish as ¿cómo se llama tu papá?
This phrase is a question used to ask for the name of someone's father.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase ¿cómo se llama tu papá? literally translates to "How is your dad called?"
Which one should you use?
Using the word papá is more affectionate and informal than using padre, which is more neutral or formal.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the question formal, change the possessive adjective tu to su and the informal papá to the more formal padre, as seen in the form ¿cómo se llama su padre?
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkomo se ˈʝama tu paˈpa/
When do people say it?
A natural response to this question starts with Se llama… followed by the person's name.
Did you know?
- While papá is affectionate, in some regions it is common to use papi as a term of endearment for fathers, sons and even romantic partners.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, children are given two surnames, one from their father and one from their mother.
- In Spanish, the word llama can refer to both 'he/she calls' and the name of a South American camelid.
Examples in context
- No recuerdo, ¿cómo se llama tu papá?I don't remember, what is your father's name?
- Para el registro, ¿cómo se llama tu papá?For the registration, what is your father's name?
Example conversation
Daniel and Elena are filling out a form together.
- Daniel¿Cómo se llama tu papá?What is your father's name?
- ElenaSe llama Ricardo.His name is Ricardo.
- Daniel¿Cómo se escribe?How is it spelled?
- ElenaR-I-C-A-R-D-O.R-I-C-A-R-D-O.
