Father in Different Languages
Discover 'Father' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'father' holds a profound significance in cultures and languages worldwide. It represents a symbol of love, protection, and wisdom, being the first male figure in one's life. The term 'father' is not only a noun but also a title that commands respect and admiration.
Throughout history, fathers have played a crucial role in shaping societies and traditions. From being the head of the family to passing down cultural values, their influence is undeniable.
Moreover, exploring the translation of 'father' in different languages can offer fascinating insights into various cultures. For instance, the French call their father 'père,' while the Spanish say 'padre.' In German, it's 'Vater,' and in Japanese, 'chichi'.
Delving deeper into these linguistic nuances can enrich our understanding of cultural diversity and foster a greater appreciation for the global community.
Father
Father in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | vader | ||
| In Afrikaans, "vader" can also refer to a godparent or ancestor. | |||
| Amharic | አባት | ||
| The word አባት "father" in Amharic ultimately derives from the Proto-Semitic word *ʾab-, meaning "paternal uncle". There is probably a relation to the root *ʾâb- "protect". The sense-shift from "paternal uncle" to "father" is also observed in many other languages such as Latin "pater", Greek "pater", and Arabic "ʾab" | |||
| Hausa | uba | ||
| Derived from the Proto-Benue-Congo root *ubaa, "father." | |||
| Igbo | nna | ||
| The Igbo word "nna" comes from the Proto-Benue-Congo word "-na" and can mean "parent" or "father". | |||
| Malagasy | ray | ||
| The Malagasy word "ray" can also refer to an adult male, a lord, chief, or prince | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | bambo | ||
| The word "bambo" in Nyanja can also refer to a stepfather, uncle, or grandfather. | |||
| Shona | baba | ||
| The Shona word 'baba' can also refer to an uncle, a respectful way of addressing an older man, or a priest. | |||
| Somali | aabe | ||
| The Somali word "aabe" also means "pillar" or "support". | |||
| Sesotho | ntate | ||
| The word "ntate" can also be used as a term of respect for an older man or a person in authority. | |||
| Swahili | baba | ||
| In Swahili, the word baba can also refer to an elder or a grandfather. | |||
| Xhosa | utata | ||
| The word 'utata' also means 'chieftain' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yoruba | baba | ||
| The word "baba" also means "head" or "chief" in Yoruba, suggesting respect and authority. | |||
| Zulu | ubaba | ||
| The word 'ubaba' in Zulu can also refer to a respected elder or a spiritual guide. | |||
| Bambara | fa | ||
| Ewe | tᴐ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | se | ||
| Lingala | papa | ||
| Luganda | taata | ||
| Sepedi | papa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | agya | ||
Father in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | الآب | ||
| The Arabic word "الآب" can also mean "the origin" or "the beginning". | |||
| Hebrew | אַבָּא | ||
| "Abba, a term of endearment for father, is a child's first word in many languages, including Hebrew." | |||
| Pashto | پلار | ||
| "پلار" (father) is cognate with the term "پهلوان" (hero), denoting the role of a father as a protector and provider. | |||
| Arabic | الآب | ||
| The Arabic word "الآب" can also mean "the origin" or "the beginning". | |||
Father in Western European Languages
| Albanian | babai | ||
| The Albanian word "babai" is thought to be cognate with the Slavic word for "grandfather" and may have originally referred to a paternal uncle. | |||
| Basque | aita | ||
| The word "aita" ("father" in Basque) has been documented since 1179 and can also be used to address the sun, a mountain or an elderly man who is not necessarily a relative. | |||
| Catalan | pare | ||
| The word 'pare' originates from Latin 'pater' and also has meanings such as 'parent', 'ancestor' or 'patriarch' | |||
| Croatian | otac | ||
| The word otac has Proto-Indo-European roots, from whence it was inherited into Proto-Slavic and later into Proto-Croatian. | |||
| Danish | far | ||
| The word "far" in Danish also means "color" or "hue". | |||
| Dutch | vader | ||
| The Dutch word "vader" can also mean "perpetrator" or "offender", derived from the Old Dutch word "vadere" meaning "to go". | |||
| English | father | ||
| The word "father" derives from the Proto-Indo-European root "*pəter-," meaning "father" or "protector." | |||
| French | père | ||
| The French word "père" (father) is derived from the Latin word "pater", meaning "protector". It can also be used in a figurative sense to refer to a mentor or spiritual guide. | |||
| Frisian | heit | ||
| In many Frisian dialects, the word "heit" can also mean "grandfather". | |||
| Galician | pai | ||
| The Galician word **pai**, although it originally meant "father", can also be used to refer to "godfather" or "uncle". | |||
| German | vater | ||
| The word "Vater" can also refer to "God the Father" or "a superior male being" in German. | |||
| Icelandic | faðir | ||
| In Icelandic, the word "faðir" also means "grandfather" and is used in a formal or poetic context to refer to the paternal ancestor. | |||
| Irish | athair | ||
| The Irish word "athair" derives from the Proto-Celtic "*ɸater-", also the origin of the English word "father". | |||
| Italian | padre | ||
| The word "padre" can also refer to a Catholic priest or a mentor. | |||
| Luxembourgish | papp | ||
| The word "Papp" is derived from the Old High German word "fater" and can also mean "pope" in Luxembourgish. | |||
| Maltese | missier | ||
| "Missier" is derived from the Latin "dominus" (lord) and is also used as a respectful form of address to men. | |||
| Norwegian | far | ||
| The Norwegian word "far" is derived from Proto-Germanic *fadar, meaning "progenitor" or "leader" | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | pai | ||
| The term 'Pai' can also mean a priest or a mentor in Portuguese. | |||
| Scots Gaelic | athair | ||
| The Gaelic word “athair” is related to the Welsh word “tad”, meaning “father” | |||
| Spanish | padre | ||
| In Spanish, "padre" can also refer to a priest or a close friend. | |||
| Swedish | far | ||
| The word "far" in Swedish can also mean "danger" or "risk". | |||
| Welsh | tad | ||
| In Welsh, the word 'tad' can refer to either a human or an animal father, or to the male parent of a plant. | |||
Father in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | бацька | ||
| The word "бацька" originates from the Polish word "baćka", which originally meant "old man" or "grandfather". | |||
| Bosnian | oče | ||
| The word "oče" can also refer to a godfather, a priest, or an elder in the Bosnian language. | |||
| Bulgarian | баща | ||
| Some people believe it is related to | |||
| Czech | otec | ||
| While the word "otec" is most commonly used to mean "father" in Czech, it can also refer to "source" or "origin". | |||
| Estonian | isa | ||
| The Estonian word "isa" also has the archaic meaning of "lord" and is used in some compound words like "isamaa" (fatherland) and "isand" (master). | |||
| Finnish | isä | ||
| Alternate meanings: 'lord' or 'owner', etymological connection to 'head' | |||
| Hungarian | apa | ||
| The word "apa" in Hungarian also has the archaic meaning of "elder (male) sibling", and the colloquial meaning of "older man". | |||
| Latvian | tēvs | ||
| The word "tēvs" in Latvian is of Proto-Indo-European origin and is related to the words "táta" in Sanskrit, "πατήρ" (patḗr) in Ancient Greek, and "pater" in Latin. | |||
| Lithuanian | tėvas | ||
| The word "tėvas" (father) is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *tew-, meaning "to produce" or "to create." | |||
| Macedonian | татко | ||
| The word "татко" can also be translated literally as "dad" and is a term of endearment or respect. | |||
| Polish | ojciec | ||
| The word "ojciec" also has a rare, antiquated meaning of "origin" or "creator". | |||
| Romanian | tată | ||
| The word "Tată" can also be used to refer to a priest or a godparent in Romanian. | |||
| Russian | отец | ||
| The word "отец" derives from the Proto-Slavic word *оťьcь, which may have been a borrowing from Gothic atta ("father"). | |||
| Serbian | оче | ||
| The word "оче" can also mean "teacher" or "mentor" in Serbian. | |||
| Slovak | otec | ||
| The word otec is derived from Proto-Slavic *otьcь, which also means 'grandfather'. | |||
| Slovenian | oče | ||
| The word "oče" is cognate with the Latin "pater" and Proto-Indo-European "*ph₂tḗr". In folklore, "oče" sometimes refers to a supernatural being associated with thunder and storms. | |||
| Ukrainian | батько | ||
| "Батько" is also a slang for "boss", and is sometimes used in Ukrainian organized crime. | |||
Father in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | পিতা | ||
| The word "পিতা" can also mean "origin" or "source" in Bengali. | |||
| Gujarati | પિતા | ||
| The word "પિતા" (father) in Gujarati can also mean the guardian of a religious order. | |||
| Hindi | पिता जी | ||
| The word 'पिता जी' in Hindi can also refer to a priest, a spiritual guide, or a respected elderly person. | |||
| Kannada | ತಂದೆ | ||
| The word "ತಂದೆ" is the Kannada word for "father" and comes from the Proto-Dravidian root word *tantai*, meaning "procreator". | |||
| Malayalam | അച്ഛൻ | ||
| "അച്ഛൻ" (father) in Malayalam comes from the Sanskrit word "अत्र", meaning "this" or "here," and may have originally denoted the physical proximity of the father to the child. | |||
| Marathi | वडील | ||
| The term 'वडील' in Marathi is a respectful term for father, it can also refer to a religious leader or ancestor. | |||
| Nepali | बुबा | ||
| The Nepali word "बुबा" also means "elder brother" in some regions of Nepal. | |||
| Punjabi | ਪਿਤਾ | ||
| The word "ਪਿਤਾ" can also refer to a teacher or a priest in addition to its primary meaning of "father" in Punjabi. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | පියා | ||
| The word "පියා" is derived from the Sanskrit word "पितृ" (pitṛ), which also means "ancestor" or "progenitor." | |||
| Tamil | தந்தை | ||
| The word "தந்தை" in Tamil can also refer to an elderly man or to Lord Shiva. | |||
| Telugu | తండ్రి | ||
| The word "తండ్రి" (tandri) in Telugu is derived from the Proto-Dravidian word "*taṇtar" meaning "ancestor" or "elder". | |||
| Urdu | باپ | ||
| The word "باپ" also means an important or influential person. | |||
Father in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 父亲 | ||
| "父" originally meant "a male parent" in ancient Chinese but became "father" in modern usage, while "亲" referred to "parents" in general and was later used to specify "mother". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 父親 | ||
| 父親 (father) was coined in the Han dynasty, composed of two characters: 父 meaning 'father' and 親 meaning 'close'. | |||
| Japanese | お父さん | ||
| In some dialects, お父さん can also mean "mother" | |||
| Korean | 아버지 | ||
| The term '아버지' can also be used to refer to a respected or elderly male figure in general. | |||
| Mongolian | аав | ||
| The Mongolian word "аав" (father) derives from the Proto-Mongolic word "*āba" with the same meaning, which in turn may have originated from the Proto-Sino-Tibetan word "*ap" meaning "relative". | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ဖခင် | ||
| The word "ဖခင်" can also refer to a paternal uncle, and is used as a respectful term of address for men who are older than oneself and socially superior. | |||
Father in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | ayah | ||
| The Indonesian word "ayah" is cognate with the Malay and Javanese word, all deriving from the Sanskrit word for "father". | |||
| Javanese | bapak | ||
| In Javanese, "bapak" can refer to any respected adult male, including an uncle or older brother. | |||
| Khmer | ឪពុក | ||
| The word "ឪពុក" can be used to refer to both biological fathers and male heads of households, such as grandfathers or uncles. | |||
| Lao | ພໍ່ | ||
| The word "ພໍ່" can also be used to refer to a male guardian or a respected elder. | |||
| Malay | bapa | ||
| In a Javanese context, "bapa" also denotes a teacher or guru. | |||
| Thai | พ่อ | ||
| The Thai word 'พ่อ' (father) is also used as a respectful term of address for older men, similar to the English 'sir' or 'uncle'. | |||
| Vietnamese | bố | ||
| "Bố" also means 'fabric' or 'canvas' in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ama | ||
Father in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | ata | ||
| The word "ata" in Azerbaijani is a homophone of the word for "horse" and can be used as a term of endearment for a respected elder. | |||
| Kazakh | әке | ||
| In addition to its primary meaning as "father," "әке" can also mean "ancestor" or "forefather" in Kazakh. | |||
| Kyrgyz | ата | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "Ата" also designates ancestors and spiritual mentors. | |||
| Tajik | падар | ||
| The word "падар" is likely derived from Old Persian "pitar" meaning "father" or "protector". | |||
| Turkmen | kakasy | ||
| Uzbek | ota | ||
| The word "ota" in Uzbek also refers to an elder or wise person, denoting respect and authority. | |||
| Uyghur | دادىسى | ||
Father in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | makuakāne | ||
| The name Makuakāne is said to have been applied to a father to indicate that he was an important member of the ohana. | |||
| Maori | papa | ||
| The Maori word 'papa' means both 'father' and 'earth' or 'land', reflecting the importance of ancestral land in Maori culture. | |||
| Samoan | tama | ||
| In Samoan folklore, 'tama' can also refer to the first-born child. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | ama | ||
| "Ama" also means "master" or "employer" in Tagalog. | |||
Father in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | awki | ||
| Guarani | túva | ||
Father in International Languages
| Esperanto | patro | ||
| It derives from the Greek word "πατήρ" which also means "father" and is cognate with Slavic."отец" meaning "father" too. | |||
| Latin | pater | ||
| In Latin, pater is also used to refer to various male deities, such as Jupiter or Mars, or to a senator. | |||
Father in Others Languages
| Greek | πατέρας | ||
| The word "πατέρας" is derived from the Proto-Indo-European root "*pəter-", which also means "protector" or "ruler". | |||
| Hmong | txiv | ||
| The Hmong word "txiv" can also refer to a maternal uncle and, with the classifier "tus," an elderly man. | |||
| Kurdish | bav | ||
| The Kurdish word “bav” (father) is also used to address an uncle or elder man out of respect. | |||
| Turkish | baba | ||
| Baba can also refer to a dervish's guide in Sufism or a religious leader in some Muslim communities. | |||
| Xhosa | utata | ||
| The word 'utata' also means 'chieftain' in Xhosa. | |||
| Yiddish | טאטע | ||
| The Yiddish word "טאטע" is related to the German word "Vater", which also means "father". | |||
| Zulu | ubaba | ||
| The word 'ubaba' in Zulu can also refer to a respected elder or a spiritual guide. | |||
| Assamese | পিতৃ | ||
| Aymara | awki | ||
| Bhojpuri | बाप | ||
| Dhivehi | ބައްޕަ | ||
| Dogri | बापू | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | ama | ||
| Guarani | túva | ||
| Ilocano | tatang | ||
| Krio | papa | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | باوک | ||
| Maithili | बाबू | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯃꯄꯥ | ||
| Mizo | pa | ||
| Oromo | abbaa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ବାପା | ||
| Quechua | tayta | ||
| Sanskrit | पिता | ||
| Tatar | әтисе | ||
| Tigrinya | ኣቦ | ||
| Tsonga | tatana | ||