German words for kids · Family
How to say “dad” in German
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 German
Papa
Sounds like ≈ PAH-pah
Good to know: Papa is what children say; the formal word is der Vater (FAH-ter).
Hear it in a song
Real lines from our German songs, with the English meaning shown in the app:
Meine Mama und mein Papa!
My mom and dad!
from Meine Familie (My Family)
Wer ist Papa?
Who is Dad?
from Mama und Papa (Mom and Dad)
Gute Nacht, Papa!
Good night, Dad!
from In meinem Zimmer (In My Room)
2 songs that teach it
“Dad” is one of the key words in these songs. Every line is shown in German with its English meaning.
Also sung in: In meinem Zimmer, Ein neues Jahr.
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 German words
“Dad” in other languages
Sing it in German, 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). Germanhas 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 German songs with your family.