How to Say Dad in Spanish

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Looking to brush up on your Spanish? Learning the word for “dad” is a great (and easy!) place to start. We’ve covered all the vocab and slang you need to know across multiple Spanish-speaking regions, so you can sound like an expert in no time. Read on for plenty of new words, cultural tidbits, and pronunciation guides to get started.

Things You Should Know

  • Papá means “dad,” while padre means “father.”
  • Papi translates to “daddy,” and can be used to address a father or romantic partner.
  • Jefe , tata , apá , viejo , and papaíto are all common slang words for “dad.”
Section 1 of 4:

How do you say “dad” or “father” in Spanish?

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  1. Papá is a common way to say “dad” in nearly all Spanish-speaking countries and regions. Just don’t forget the accented á at the end—in Spanish, “papa” (also pronounced pah-pah) means “potato.” [1] When talking to your father, make sure to put an extra emphasis on the second “pah” of “papá.” [2]
    • Example: “¡Hola, Papá!” (oh-laa pah-PAH) means “Hello, Dad!”
    • In Puerto Rico, “papá” is a slang word for “man” or “dude.”
    • In Chile, “papa” (without the accented á ) can be a slang word for a baby’s bottle or a hole in a sock.
  2. Padre officially translates to mean “father,” and is the equivalent of “madre” (mah-dreh), which means “mother.” [3] “Padre” has a more formal tone to it—in fact, the Spanish version of the Lord’s Prayer refers to God as “Padre nuestro” (paa-dray nwehs-troh), or “our Father.” [4]
    • Example: “¡Buenos días, Padre!” (bweh-nohs dee-ahs, pah-dreh) means “Good morning, father!”
    • In Mexico, “padre” is actually a slang word for “cool,” “nice,” or “good.” If someone says “Qué padre” (keh pah-dreh), they’re actually saying “how nice” or “how cool” rather than “how father.” [5]
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Section 2 of 4:

How do you say “daddy” in Spanish?

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  1. Many Spanish-speaking children use “papi” as an affectionate term for their dads, while Spanish-speaking adults even use “papi” as a cute nickname for their partner. In either case, “papi” translates to “daddy.” [6]
    • Example: “¿Hola, Papi! Como estas?” (oh-laa pah-pee, koh-moh ehs-tahs) means “Hello, daddy! How are you?”
Section 3 of 4:

Other Ways to Say “Dad”

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  1. “Jefe” officially translates to “boss” or “chief,” but is a slang word for “dad” in Latin American countries like Mexico and Venezuela. In this slang variation, “jefa” (heh-fah) means “mom” and “jefes” (heh-fehs) means “parents” or “folks.” [7]
    • Example: “Este es mi jefe” (ehs-teh ehs mee heh-fay) means “This is my dad.”
  2. “Tata” is a popular slang word for “dad” in several Latin American countries. In Mexico specifically, “tata” can be slang for “grandpa.” [8] Some Spanish speakers also use “taita” (tay-tah), which translates to “daddy” or “dad.” [9]
    • Example: “Te echo de menos, Tata” (teh eh-cho deh meh-nohs, TAH-tah) means “I miss you, dad.”
    • In Spanish-speaking parts of the United States, “tata” means “pop.”
    • In Spain, “tata” translates to “babysitter” or “nanny.” [10]
  3. Apá is just what it looks like—“papá” without the “p” at the beginning. It’s a fairly common slang term in parts of Central America, like Mexico, as well as Spanish-speaking parts of the United States. Depending on the context, it can translate to “dad,” “pop,” or “father.” [11]
    • Example: “Te quiero, Apá” (teh kee-eh-roh, ah-PAH) means “I love you, dad.”
  4. “Viejo” literally means “old man,” but is a fairly common slang term for “dad” in parts of Latin America. In some contexts, it can also be used to refer to a person’s husband. [12]
    • Example: “Mi viejo vive aquí” (mee byeh-hoh bee-beh ah-kee) means “My dad/old man lives here.”
    • On a similar note, “vieja” (byeh-hah) is a Latin American slang word for “mom.”
    • “Viejo” can also mean “granddad.” [13]
  5. “Papaíto” is a fairly common slang word for “Daddy” in Spain. In Spanish-speaking parts of the United States, it can also translate to “Pop.” [14]
    • Example: “Venga, Papaíto!” (behny-gah, pah-pah-ee-toh) means “Come on, Pop!”
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Section 4 of 4:

Words for Fatherly Relatives

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  1. “Abuelo” is the most common way to say “grandfather” or “grandpa” in Spanish. If you’d like to be extra sweet and affectionate, say “abuelito” (ah-bweh-lee-toh) instead. [15]
    • Example: “Es ese tu abuelo?” (eh eh-seh too ah-bweh-loh) means “Is that your grandfather?”
    • “Yayo” (yah-yoh) and “tito” (tee-toh) are other popular words for “grandpa,” especially in Mexico and Spain.
    • Similar to “abuelo,” “abuela” (ah-bweh-lah) is the Spanish word for “grandma,” with “abuelita” (ah-bweh-lee-tah) being a more affectionate term that you can use.
  2. The Spanish words for “stepfather” and “stepmother” follow the same pattern as “padre” (pah-dreh) and “madre” (mah-dreh). Just like pad re, pad rastro translates to “stepfather”; like mad re, mad rastra means “stepmother.” [16]
    • Example: “Conoce a mi padrastro” (koh-no-seh ah mee pah-drahs-troh) means “Meet my stepdad.”
  3. “Suegro” can be used to address a person’s father-in-law directly, or as a way to refer to them indirectly in a conversation. To say “mother-in-law,” say “suegra” (sweh-grah) instead. [17]
    • Example: “Mi suegro es simpático” (mee sweh-groh ehs seem-pah-tee-koh) means “My father-in-law is nice.”
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  • Question
    How do you say "Dad can I please ride my bike" in Spanish?
    Janice Tieperman
    Community Answer
    "Papá, ¿puedo montar en bicicleta por favor?" is the correct way to say that in Spanish.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.speakinglatino.com/papa-4-letters-mean-7-different-words/
      2. ↑ https://www.woodwardspanish.com/papa-papata-dad-pope-potato/
      3. ↑ https://www.spanish.cl/vocabulary-lists/family-members.htm
      4. ↑ https://www.catholic.org/prayers/prayer.php?p=299
      5. ↑ https://www.tellmeinspanish.com/mexico/mexican-slang/que-padre/
      6. ↑ https://www.slang.org/papi-meaning-definition/
      7. ↑ https://www.tellmeinspanish.com/vocab/dad-in-spanish//
      8. ↑ https://www.tellmeinspanish.com/vocab/dad-in-spanish/
      9. ↑ https://www.tellmeinspanish.com/vocab/dad-in-spanish/
      1. ↑ https://www.spanishdict.com/translate/tata
      2. ↑ https://www.spanishdict.com/translate/ap%C3%A1?showOnlyResult=true&langFrom=es
      3. ↑ https://www.spanishdict.com/translate/viejo?langFrom=es
      4. ↑ https://www.tellmeinspanish.com/vocab/grandpa-in-spanish/
      5. ↑ https://www.spanishdict.com/translate/papa%C3%ADto
      6. ↑ https://www.tellmeinspanish.com/vocab/grandpa-in-spanish/
      7. ↑ https://languagedrops.com/word/en/english/spanish-mx/translate/stepfather/
      8. ↑ https://www.tellmeinspanish.com/vocab/family-in-law-in-spanish/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To say "dad" in Spanish, say "papá," pronounced pah-PAH. Or, you can say "padre," pronounced PAH-dray, which is more formal and means "father." If you wanted to say "stepfather," you would say "padrastro," pronounced pah-DAH-stroh. For more tips from our Spanish co-author, like how to use "papá" in a sentence, keep reading!

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