Whether they’re making groan-inducing, eye-roll-worthy puns, showing off the notorious dad bod they’ve developed from drinking one too many beers or giving you a rundown in how to survive and thrive in this cruel world (hey, changing the oil in your car is no easy feat), the dads in our lives have so many important roles to play. Showing love and respect for one’s father in other languages, and through different types of cultural traditions, is a nearly universal human experience across all corners of the world. It’s no wonder, then, that so many countries set aside special days to celebrate dads in all their fatherly glory. In the United States and in some other countries, Father’s Day falls in June every year, but it also happens in August in places like Brazil and Thailand, with each culture having unique customs and ceremonies. Whenever and wherever it takes place, it’s a way to say thanks to our fathers for their hard work.
But just because we love to honor these goofy parental units doesn’t mean we all call them the same thing. You might know your old man as “dad,” but the nicknames for father figures aren’t the same across the world’s languages. Just like different cultures have a wide spectrum of names for their mothers and even their grandparents, you’ll find a fun and diverse set of pet names for fathers in languages across the planet.
Here’s what you would call your father in other languages around the world.
15 Names For Your Father In Other Languages
Danish — far
Dutch — vader, papa or pappie
Finnish — isä
German — Vati or Papa
Hungarian — apu
Irish — athair or daidí
Italian — papá or babbo
Japanese — otousan or chichi
Maltese — missier
Polish — ojciec or tata
Portuguese — pai or papai
Slovak — otec or otecko
Spanish — padre, papá or papi
Swahili — baba
Xhosa — utata