French words for kids · Family
How to say “dad” in French
Dad is a short, easy word that kids can use straight away, and like mom it's close to the English sound in most languages.
Dad in French
papa
Sounds like ≈ pah-PAH
Good to know: Same spelling as English "papa", but with the stress on the last syllable. The formal word is père.
Hear it in a song
Real lines from our French songs, with the English meaning shown in the app:
Mon papa !
My dad!
from Maman et Papa (Mom and Dad)
Merci, Papa !
Thank you, Dad!
from Eau et lait (Water and Milk)
Oui, papa !
Yes, Daddy!
from La mer (The Sea)
2 songs that teach it
“Dad” is one of the key words in these songs. Every line is shown in French with its English meaning.
Also sung in: Eau et lait, Comment te sens-tu ?, Dans Ma Chambre, La mer, Une Nouvelle Année, De la Tête aux Pieds, Le Concert des Casseroles.
Practice ideas for parents
- 1Play "where's dad?": hide behind the sofa and let your child find papa.
- 2Name everyone's shoes by the door: these are papa's, these are mom's.
- 3Sing the family song together and do a big wave on the dad line.
Related French words
“Dad” in other languages
Sing it in French, free
The first unit, 6 greeting songs with lyrics and English translation, is free forever. No card needed. Premium unlocks all 134 songs.
About the pronunciation: the “sounds like” spellings are rough English approximations for parents (capital letters show the stressed syllable). Frenchhas sounds English doesn't, so treat them as a starting point and let the songs be the model. Songs are original and produced with AI music tools. Ideas for using French songs with your family.