Spanish Conversation · Level 16
90 words
Spanish word
padre
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈpaðɾe/
Meaning
- masculine nounfather
Example
Mi padre es médico.
My father is a doctor.
More examples
Mi padre me enseñó a cocinar cuando era niño.
My father taught me to cook when I was a child.
Core concept
Male parent who has biologically fathered or raised a child.
Common phrases
mi padre
my father
ser padre
become a father
padre adoptivo
adoptive father
Similar words
papá: Warm, everyday form of address for a father in casual conversation.
papi: Tender, intimate diminutive for father typically used by children or close loved ones.
Definition in Spanish
Hombre que ha engendrado o criado a una persona; en contextos religiosos, sacerdote católico al que se dirige como "padre".
Word origin
The word derives from Latin pater 'father' and entered Spanish via normal Romance sound changes, with the additional sense 'priest' coming from the practice of addressing clergy as 'father'.
Usage tips
- Papá is the informal familiar term, padre is the standard word in formal speech and also serves as a title when speaking to a priest.
Other meanings
- priestnoun
Opposites
- madremothernoun
Related words
- paternopaternaladjective
- paternidadfatherhoodnoun
- padrastrostepfathernoun