French · People & Family
"Father" in French: père
le père
Father in French is le père, said pehr. Mon père means my father. Papa is the casual dad word. Père appears on forms and in formal speech.
Talking about work
Mon père est enseignant.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce père
Say it
pehr
/pɛʁ/
Père sounds like pehr, open è vowel plus soft French r. It pairs with mère and frère. Keep it one short syllable.
"Father" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| le père | father Neutral noun for father. | Neutral noun for father. |
| mon père | my father Standard way to talk about your dad. | Standard way to talk about your dad. |
| papa | dad Affectionate and informal. | Affectionate and informal. |
| beau-père | father-in-law / stepfather Context decides the meaning. | Context decides the meaning. |
How to use père in real life
- 1Talking about work
Mon père est enseignant.
My father is a teacher.
Mon matches masculine père.
- 2Childhood memory
Mon père m'emmenait à la pêche.
My father used to take me fishing.
Imperfect tense for past habits.
- 3Official form
Nom du père : Durand.
Father's name: Durand.
Documents use père, not papa.
Mistakes English speakers make with père
Incorrect: Ma père habite à Lille.
Correct: Mon père habite à Lille.
Père is masculine, so use mon, not ma.
Incorrect: Mon father s'appelle Paul.
Correct: Mon père s'appelle Paul.
Use père or papa, not English father.
Good to know
Fête des pères (Father's Day) is celebrated in June in France. Adults may say papa when speaking to their father and mon père when describing him to others, similar to mère and maman.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Meeting a friend's parent briefly
ChatPal
Je te présente mon père, Michel.
This is my father, Michel.
You
Enchanté. Votre père m'a beaucoup parlé de vous.
Nice to meet you. Your father has told me a lot about you.
ChatPal
Ah, mon père exagère toujours !
Ah, my father always exaggerates!
You
C'est gentil. Merci, monsieur.
That's kind. Thank you, sir.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Father" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Father" in French
Is père masculine?
Yes: le père, mon père, un père attentionné.
When do I say papa instead?
When speaking casually to or about your dad, especially in the family.
How do you pronounce père?
Pehr—open è and a soft French r.
What is beau-père?
Father-in-law or stepfather; the situation makes it clear.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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