Italian words for kids · Family
How to say “dad” in Italian
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 Italian
papà
Sounds like ≈ pah-PAH
Good to know: The accent puts the stress at the end. In Tuscany many children say babbo instead.
Hear it in a song
Real lines from our Italian songs, with the English meaning shown in the app:
Il mio papà!
My dad!
from La Mia Famiglia (My Family)
Tocca a te, papà!
Your turn, Dad!
from Cosa Dice l'Animale? (What Does the Animal Say?)
2 songs that teach it
“Dad” is one of the key words in these songs. Every line is shown in Italian with its English meaning.
Also sung in: Cosa Dice l'Animale?, Balla con Me.
Practice ideas for parents
- 1Play "where's dad?": hide behind the sofa and let your child find papà.
- 2Name everyone's shoes by the door: these are papà's, these are mom's.
- 3Sing the family song together and do a big wave on the dad line.
Related Italian words
“Dad” in other languages
Sing it in Italian, 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). Italianhas 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 Italian songs with your family.