papa
gb/pˈɑpə/ us/pˈɑpə/
A1
English
~ 3400
apa, apu, apuka, krumpli, burgonya
NOUN
A1
INFORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s papa
Papa taught me how to ride a bike.
Apa tanított meg biciklizni.
I called Papa to tell him the good news.
Felhívtam aput, hogy elmondjam neki a jó hírt.
Her papa works as a carpenter in the village.
Papa always reads me a story before bed.
They went fishing together, just Papa and his son.
Learner examples
My papa is tall.
Az apukám magas.
I love my papa.
Szeretem az apukámat.
Papa is in the kitchen.
This is my papa.
Papa drives a car.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'papa' with 'grandpa', but 'papa' usually means father, not grandfather.
Meaning
informal term for father
Collocations
my papa
|dear papa
|Papa said
|Papa’s house
|Papa and Mama
Synonyms
dad (Most common informal term in modern English; slightly less old-fashioned than 'papa'.)
|
father (More formal and neutral than 'papa'.)
Antonyms
mother (The female parent, opposite role to father.)
Themes
family
|daily life
|relationships
|daily_life
Definition
A friendly or loving word for your father.
An informal or affectionate term used to refer to one’s father.
NOUN
B1
2
Usage pattern:
[something] with papa(s)
The dish comes with fried papa on the side.
Az étel mellé sült krumpli jár.
We tried papa a la huancaína in Lima.
Limában megkóstoltuk a papa a la huancaínát.
This soup has chunks of papa and vegetables.
Learner examples
I like papa in my soup.
Szeretem a krumplit a levesemben.
This papa is hot.
Forró ez a krumpli.
We eat papa with meat.
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'papa' always means 'father' and not recognize it can mean potato in certain food contexts.
Meaning
potato (in Spanish or borrowed contexts)
Collocations
papa rellena
|papa frita
|papa salad
Synonyms
potato (Standard English term; 'papa' is a Spanish borrowing.)
Themes
food
|culture
|food_drink
|communication
Definition
In Spanish, 'papa' means potato; sometimes used in English when talking about Latin American food.
In some English contexts, especially when referring to Latin American cuisine or using Spanish, 'papa' means potato.
Grammar
Dictionary form
papa
IPA
GB/pˈɑpə/
US/pˈɑpə/
Syllables & stress
papa (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (papa)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: papa
- Plural: papas
Word family
Expressions
Papa bear
1/pˈɑpə bˈɛɹ/
fixed phrase
informal
protective father figure
A nickname for a father who protects and cares a lot for his children.
Examples
- Watch out—Papa bear will be angry if you hurt his kids.
- He’s a real Papa bear when it comes to his family.
like father, like son
1/lˈaɪk fˈɑðɚ | lˈaɪk sˈʌn/
idiom
Son is similar to his father
A son often acts or looks like his father.
Examples
- He loves fishing just like his dad—like father, like son.
- He loves fishing, just like his dad. Like father, like son.
- He loves fishing just like his dad. Like father, like son.
- He loves fixing cars, just like his dad. Like father, like son.
- They both have the same laugh. Like father, like son.
- Both are stubborn—like father, like son.
- They both have the same laugh—like father, like son.