👨❓

How to Say ‘Are you the dad?’ in French

Vous êtes le papa ?

voo et luh pa-PA

[voo et luh pa-PA]

🇫🇷 In France: Teachers naturally say papa and maman when talking to parents about their child. The formal père would sound stiff here.

Phrase Breakdown

Vous êtes

voo et

You are

The polite 'you are'. Link the words with a 'z' sound: 'vou-zèt'.

Example

Vous êtes français ?

Are you French?

Words in this phrase

Vous

[voo]

you

Used to refer to the person or people being addressed.

Example

Vous aimez le film?

Do you like the movie?

êtes

[et]

are

Second person singular/plural form of 'to be'.

Example

Vous êtes ici.

You are here.

le papa ?

luh pa-PA

the dad?

'Papa' is the everyday word for dad, often used at school. Your voice rises at the end.

Example

C'est le papa de Julie.

That's Julie's dad.

Words in this phrase

[luh]

the

Used as a function word to indicate a noun and to mark the noun as definite.

Example

Le chat noir.

The black cat.

papa

[pa-PA]

dad

An informal and common word for father or dad.

Example

Le papa de Zoé parle avec la maîtresse.

Zoé's dad is speaking with the teacher.

Guides for French learners

Ordering in French: Cafés, Bakeries and Restaurants (with Menu Vocabulary)How to order in French at a café, a bakery and a restaurant: the phrases, the questions staff ask, and the menu and food vocabulary to understand the answers.Hello in French: Greetings, Good Evening and How to Answer "How Are You?"How to say hello in French, when to switch to good evening, how to ask how are you and what to answer, with tu vs vous and native audio.

Get the Full Learning Experience

This lesson is just a preview. Download PrettyFluent to practice pronunciation, roleplay conversations, and master vocabulary with spaced repetition.

Pronunciation Feedback

AI-powered feedback on what you say out loud

Spaced Repetition

Retain vocabulary long-term with smart practice

Immersive Roleplaying

Practice real conversations with AI partners

Lessons for Your Situation

Request lessons tailored to your specific needs

Get Full Lesson

What Learners Are Saying

“Moved to Lyon for a culinary apprenticeship. The food and restaurant lessons were exactly what I needed — my French colleagues were genuinely impressed.”

Tom H., 38, Chef

“Studying in Paris and the academic French I learned in school was useless for daily life. This app filled the gap in weeks, not months.”

Nina W., 29, Graduate Student

“Learning a language has never been as immediately impactful. Now I can charm the locals and navigate the food scene like a boss.”

Alex M., 42, Software Engineer