papa
gb/pˈɑpə/ us/pˈɑpə/
A1
English
~ 3400
Senses
0 senses
Noun
informal
A1
entity
1
informal term for father
A friendly or loving word for your father.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s papa
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'papa' with 'grandpa', but 'papa' usually means father, not grandfather.
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.)
Collocations
my papa
|dear papa
|Papa said
|Papa’s house
|Papa and Mama
Themes
family
|daily life
|relationships
|daily_life
Examples
- Papa taught me how to ride a bike.
- I called Papa to tell him the good news.
- 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.
- I love my papa.
- Papa is in the kitchen.
- This is my papa.
- Papa drives a car.
Noun
B1
entity
2
potato (in Spanish or borrowed contexts)
In Spanish, 'papa' means potato; sometimes used in English when talking about Latin American food.
Usage pattern:
[something] with papa(s)
Common mistake:
Learners may think 'papa' always means 'father' and not recognize it can mean potato in certain food contexts.
Synonyms
potato (Standard English term; 'papa' is a Spanish borrowing.)
Collocations
papa rellena
|papa frita
|papa salad
Themes
food
|culture
|food_drink
|communication
Examples
- The dish comes with fried papa on the side.
- We tried papa a la huancaína in Lima.
- This soup has chunks of papa and vegetables.
Learner examples
- I like papa in my soup.
- This papa is hot.
- We eat papa with meat.
Grammar
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.