June 15th is Father’s Day in France. Here’s how to say Dad, stepdad and father in French, as well as sentences to wish happy Father’s Day in French.
You may know that ‘Papa’ is a French word. ‘Papa’ is sometimes used in English to say Dad. But what are the various ways of saying dad in French?
How Do You Say Dad in French?
The French word for ‘dad’ or ‘daddy’ is “papa”.
Watch out for the French pronunciation: the French ‘p’ is softer than in English, and it’s the French vowel ‘a’ which is strong.
So “Papa” is likely to be the way you call your Daddy in French.
Maman, il est où Papa ?
Mom, where is Dad?
There’s no shorter version as in Pops… But particular family nicknames are possible.
What Is Father In French?
’The father’ in French is “le père”.
Olivier est le père de Leyla.
Olivier is Leyla’s father.
You could use it to address your father just like some people do in English, but as in English, it’s very, very formal and kind of distant… Not common at all.
Mastering French Numbers
Master All Numbers From 0 To 999 999 999! The most in-depth audiobook about French numbers anywhere
More Details & Audio Samples
Other Ways To Say Father In French
”Un daron” is slang for ‘father’. It’s too young for me to use, but you’ll hear it in rap songs and pop culture. It can be a bit derogatory…
You could also hear “Mon Paternel”… It’s modern French slang. It comes from the adjective : “paternel” which means ‘of/from my father’ or ‘on my father side’.
Ma famille paternelle est de Paris.
The father side of my family is from Paris.
What Is Step Father in French?
It would be “un beau-père”. Note that it’s the same word for ‘a father-in-law’ and translates literally in ‘beautiful father’… go figure!
What is Grandfather in French?
The French word for ‘a grandfather’ is “un grand père”. It’s common to also hear “un papy” and you could use both words to address your granddad as well.
Another common way to address your grandfather in French would be “Bon Papa” – it’s a bit upper class.
How To Wish Happy Father’s Day in French?
Father’s Day in French is “la fête des pères”. Father’s Day is on June 19th in France.
The most common way to say happy Father’s Day in French would be:
- Joyeuse fête Papa !
- Bonne fête mon Papa chéri !
As for me, my father died some years back, but he is still very much alive in my heart. So to him, I’d like to say “Je te souhaite une excellente fête des pères mon papa que j’aime”.
More French family vocabulary in my free lesson. And here’s my lesson and Leyla’s cute videos about Mother’s Day In France.
What about you? How do you call your Dad in your family / country?
