tu papá
/tu papa/from spelling rules
In Spanish, "your dad" is expressed as tu papá.
The phrase refers to the father of the person being spoken to.
Which one should you use?
While tu papá is a standard way to say "your dad," you may also use tu padre as a common and straightforward alternative. If you want to use a very colloquial expression, you can say tu viejo, which translates to "your old man."
How does it change in a sentence?
When "your dad" is the direct object of a verb, such as in the case of "to see" or "to love," you must use the personal a before the phrase, resulting in a tu papá.
How do you pronounce it?
/tu papa/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Do not use an accent on the word tu when you mean "your". The form tú with an accent is the subject pronoun meaning "you."
Did you know?
- The accent on papá is crucial because without it, the word becomes papa, which means 'potato' or 'the Pope'.
- While papá is common, in many Spanish-speaking countries, calling someone papá is actually a way to address a close friend or even a stranger in a paternal, affectionate way.
- The word papá was borrowed into Spanish from the French word papa.
Examples in context
- No me agrada tu papá.I don't like your dad.This sentence shows how to express a lack of liking for tu papá.Tatoeba #3804703 by cueyayotl, translation #3804702 by CM
- Quiero ver a tu papá.I want to see your dad.This sentence demonstrates the use of the personal a when tu papá is the direct object.Tatoeba #5016067 by cueyayotl, translation #5011046 by Jesse
- ¿Adónde está tu papá?Where is your dad?This sentence shows how to ask about the location of tu papá.Tatoeba #12977279 by ecorralest101, translation #13189643 by ecorralest101
- ¿Cómo está tu padre?How is your dad?
- ¿Cómo está su señor padre?How is your honorable father?
- ¿Cómo está tu viejo?How is your old man?
- 5 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are talking about a family dinner.
- Lucía¿Viene tu papá a la cena?Is your dad coming to dinner?
- DanielSí, él llega pronto.Yes, he is arriving soon.
- LucíaMe cae muy bien tu papá.I really like your dad.
- DanielGracias, Lucía. Él también te quiere.Thanks, Lucía. He likes you too.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries papá, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
