ton père
The English phrase "your dad" is translated into French as ton père.
ton père is a casual way to say "your dad" used when speaking to someone addressed with the informal "tu".
Which one should you use?
ton père is used when speaking to someone you know well or are close to, such as a friend or family member. In contrast, votre père is used when speaking to someone you address with respect or to a group of people.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase ton papa is a more affectionate and colloquial way to say "your dad", similar to "your daddy" in English.
Did you know?
- In French slang, ton père can be used in 'ton père' jokes, which are similar to 'your mom' jokes in English but target the father.
- While ton père is standard, using the word papa to refer to one's own father is common even among adults in France, whereas in English, 'daddy' can sometimes sound childish for an adult.
- The word père shares a common ancestor with the English word 'father' and the Greek word 'patēr', all tracing back to a single Proto-Indo-European root.
Examples in context
- Que fait ton père ?What does your dad do?This sentence is useful for asking about the occupation of ton père.Tatoeba #470417 by sacredceltic, translation #3068203 by Hybrid
- Comment va ton père ?How is your dad?This sentence is useful for asking about the well-being of ton père.Tatoeba #1496361 by Rovo, translation #953331 by CK
- Où se trouve ton père ?Where's your dad?This sentence is useful for asking about the location of ton père.Tatoeba #464115 by sacredceltic, translation #2254678 by CK
- As-tu vu ton père?Did you see your dad?
- 16 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Gabriel are talking about family photos.
- ManonC'est ton père sur la photo ?Is that your dad in the photo?
- GabrielOui, c'est lui.Yes, it is him.
- ManonIl a l'air très gentil.He looks very kind.
- GabrielMerci, ton père aussi !Thanks, your dad too!
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries père, ton, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
