Spanish word

papi

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈpapi/

Meaning

  • masculine noundad

Example

¿Dónde está papi?

Where is dad?

Illustration for papi (dad)

More examples

Llama a papi si necesitas ayuda.

Call dad if you need help.

Core concept

Short affectionate form of papá used by children and intimate partners.

Common phrases

  • mi papi

    my dad

  • llamar a papi

    call dad

  • hola papi

    hello dad

Similar words

papá: Neutral everyday term for a father, used in ordinary family speech.
papito: Affectionate diminutive for a father, expressing tenderness or childlike affection.
cariño: Affectionate pet name for a close person, showing warm fondness.
amor: Warm pet name for a partner or spouse, expressing romantic love.

Definition in Spanish

Apodo cariñoso derivado de papá, usado tanto por hijos como por adultos en contextos afectivos y a veces con matiz coqueto.

Word origin

It is formed from papá by adding the affectionate -i ending, following a common Spanish pattern for family pet names and ultimately reflecting baby-speech forms like 'pa'.

Usage tips

  • Common in informal family contexts, but when adults use it of each other it often signals romantic or flirtatious closeness rather than literal fatherhood.

Opposites

Related words

  • papitodaddynoun

Word lists with this word