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How to Say Dad in Spanish Download ArticleExplore this Article Sections 1 How do you say “dad” or “father” in Spanish? 2 How do you say “daddy” in Spanish? 3 Other Ways to Say “Dad” 4 Words for Fatherly Relatives + Show 1 more... - Show less... Other Sections Questions & Answers Related Articles References Article Summary Co-authored by Juan Diego Balam and Janice Tieperman
Last Updated: October 21, 2025 Fact Checked
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This article was co-authored by Juan Diego Balam and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Juan Diego Balam is a Spanish language coach from Mexico. With over 7 years of experience, Juan Diego is the founder of SpanisHacks, helping Spanish learners to achieve fluency and confidence in just a few months. Juan emphasizes conversational speaking and acquiring the language in a comprehensible input environment as the keys to reaching fluency quickly. He offers language coaching programs through SpanisHacks, and shares additional tips and insights on social media to over 230k followers. There are 16 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 77,197 times.
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.”
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Section 1 of 4:
How do you say “dad” or “father” in Spanish?
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1 Papá (pah-PAH): DadPapá is a common way to say “dad” in nearly all Spanish-speaking countries and regions.[1]X Expert Source Juan Diego BalamSpanish Language CoachExpert Interview Just don’t forget the accented á at the end—in Spanish, “papa” (also pronounced pah-pah) means “potato.”[2]XResearch source When talking to your father, make sure to put an extra emphasis on the second “pah” of “papá.”[3]XResearch source
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 (pah-dreh): FatherPadre officially translates to mean “father,” and is the equivalent of “madre” (mah-dreh), which means “mother.”[4]X Expert Source Juan Diego BalamSpanish Language CoachExpert Interview [5]XResearch source “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.”[6]XResearch source
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.”[7]XResearch source
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How do you say “daddy” in Spanish?
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Papi (pah-pee) is the Spanish word for “daddy.” 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.[8]X Expert Source Juan Diego BalamSpanish Language CoachExpert Interview In either case, “papi” translates to “daddy.”[9]XResearch source
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 (heh-fay): Dad“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.”[10]XResearch source
Example: “Este es mi jefe” (ehs-teh ehs mee heh-fay) means “This is my dad.”
2 Tata (TAH-tah): Pops/Dad“Tata” is a popular slang word for “dad” in several Latin American countries. In Mexico specifically, “tata” can be slang for “grandpa.”[11]XResearch source Some Spanish speakers also use “taita” (tay-tah), which translates to “daddy” or “dad.”[12]XResearch source
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.”[13]XResearch source
3 Apá (ah-PAH): Pops/Dad/FatherApá 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.”[14]XResearch source
Example: “Te quiero, Apá” (teh kee-eh-roh, ah-PAH) means “I love you, dad.”
4 Viejo (byeh-hoh): Dad“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.[15]XResearch source
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.”[16]XResearch source
5 Papaíto (pah-pah-ee-toh): Daddy/Pop“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.”[17]XResearch source
Example: “Venga, Papaíto!” (behny-gah, pah-pah-ee-toh) means “Come on, Pop!”
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Words for Fatherly Relatives
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1 Abuelo (ah-bweh-loh): Grandfather/Grandpa“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.[18]XResearch source
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 Padrastro (pah-drahs-troh): StepfatherThe Spanish words for “stepfather” and “stepmother” follow the same pattern as “padre” (pah-dreh) and “madre” (mah-dreh). Just like padre, padrastro translates to “stepfather”; like madre, madrastra means “stepmother.”[19]XResearch source
Example: “Conoce a mi padrastro” (koh-no-seh ah mee pah-drahs-troh) means “Meet my stepdad.”
3 Suegro (sweh-groh): Father-in-law“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.[20]XResearch source
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. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0
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References
↑ Juan Diego Balam. Spanish Language Coach. Expert Interview
Co-authored by: Juan Diego Balam Spanish Language Coach This article was co-authored by Juan Diego Balam and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Juan Diego Balam is a Spanish language coach from Mexico. With over 7 years of experience, Juan Diego is the founder of SpanisHacks, helping Spanish learners to achieve fluency and confidence in just a few months. Juan emphasizes conversational speaking and acquiring the language in a comprehensible input environment as the keys to reaching fluency quickly. He offers language coaching programs through SpanisHacks, and shares additional tips and insights on social media to over 230k followers. This article has been viewed 77,197 times. 6 votes - 80% Co-authors: 7Updated: October 21, 2025 Views: 77,197 Categories: Pronouncing SpanishArticle SummaryX
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!Did this summary help you?YesNo
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Yes No Advertisement Cookies make wikiHow better. By continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Co-authored by: Juan Diego Balam Spanish Language Coach Co-authors: 7Updated: October 21, 2025 Views: 77,19780% of readers found this article helpful. 6 votes - 80% Click a star to add your vote
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Download Article Explore this Article Sections 1 How do you say “dad” or “father” in Spanish? 2 How do you say “daddy” in Spanish? 3 Other Ways to Say “Dad” 4 Words for Fatherly Relatives + Show 1 more... - Show less... Other Sections Questions & Answers Related Articles References Article Summary Co-authored by Juan Diego Balam and Janice Tieperman 
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Co-authored by: Juan Diego Balam Spanish Language Coach This article was co-authored by Juan Diego Balam and by wikiHow staff writer, Janice Tieperman. Juan Diego Balam is a Spanish language coach from Mexico. With over 7 years of experience, Juan Diego is the founder of SpanisHacks, helping Spanish learners to achieve fluency and confidence in just a few months. Juan emphasizes conversational speaking and acquiring the language in a comprehensible input environment as the keys to reaching fluency quickly. He offers language coaching programs through SpanisHacks, and shares additional tips and insights on social media to over 230k followers. This article has been viewed 77,197 times. 6 votes - 80% Co-authors: 7 Updated: October 21, 2025 Views: 77,197 Categories: Pronouncing Spanish Article SummaryX
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1 Papá (pah-PAH): DadPapá is a common way to say “dad” in nearly all Spanish-speaking countries and regions.[1] Just don’t forget the accented á at the end—in Spanish, “papa” (also pronounced pah-pah) means “potato.”[2] When talking to your father, make sure to put an extra emphasis on the second “pah” of “papá.”[3] 
2 Padre (pah-dreh): FatherPadre officially translates to mean “father,” and is the equivalent of “madre” (mah-dreh), which means “mother.”[4] [5] “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.”[6] 
Papi (pah-pee) is the Spanish word for “daddy.” 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.[8] In either case, “papi” translates to “daddy.”[9] 
1 Jefe (heh-fay): Dad“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.”[10] 
2 Tata (TAH-tah): Pops/Dad“Tata” is a popular slang word for “dad” in several Latin American countries. In Mexico specifically, “tata” can be slang for “grandpa.”[11] Some Spanish speakers also use “taita” (tay-tah), which translates to “daddy” or “dad.”[12] 
3 Apá (ah-PAH): Pops/Dad/FatherApá 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.”[14] 
4 Viejo (byeh-hoh): Dad“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.[15] 
5 Papaíto (pah-pah-ee-toh): Daddy/Pop“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.”[17] 
1 Abuelo (ah-bweh-loh): Grandfather/Grandpa“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.[18] 
2 Padrastro (pah-drahs-troh): StepfatherThe Spanish words for “stepfather” and “stepmother” follow the same pattern as “padre” (pah-dreh) and “madre” (mah-dreh). Just like padre, padrastro translates to “stepfather”; like madre, madrastra means “stepmother.”[19] 
3 Suegro (sweh-groh): Father-in-law“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.[20] 
Janice Tieperman Community Answer "Papá, ¿puedo montar en bicicleta por favor?" is the correct way to say that in Spanish. Thanks! We're glad this was helpful. Thank you for your feedback. If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow Yes No Not Helpful 0 Helpful 0