papa

PAH-pah

nounfA1

potato?The edible tuber used as a staple food

Also:mashed food?Baby food or very soft, mushy food (regional)

📝 In Action

¿Quieres papas fritas con tu hamburguesa?

Do you want french fries (fried potatoes) with your hamburger?

La papa andina es muy nutritiva.

The Andean potato is very nutritious.

Word Connections

Synonyms

patata (potato (common in Spain))
tubérculo (tuber)

Common Collocations

puré de papa – mashed potato
papa asada – baked potato

💡 Grammar Points

Gender is Key

As a feminine noun (la papa), it refers exclusively to the vegetable or a mushy food consistency. Changing the article to 'el' changes the meaning completely!

❌ Common Pitfalls

Confusing Regional Use

Mistake: "Using 'papa' in Spain when referring to the vegetable."

Correction: In Spain, 'patata' is the standard word for the vegetable. 'Papa' is standard throughout most of Latin America.

✏️ Quick Practice

💡 Quick Quiz: papa

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly refers to the vegetable?

📚 More Resources

Word Family

papal(papal) - adjective

papado(papacy) - noun

patata(potato (Spain)) - noun

Frequently Asked Questions

If I want to say 'Dad' or 'Father', should I use 'papa'?

No, if you want to say 'Dad' or 'Father' informally, the correct Spanish word is 'papá', which has an accent mark on the last 'a' and is pronounced differently (/pa-PÁ/).

Why is this word 'papa' so different from 'patata'?

They are synonyms (they mean the same vegetable) but are regional. 'Papa' is the original indigenous word adopted in Latin America, while 'patata' is a Spanish-developed word often preferred in Spain, believed to be a mix of 'papa' and 'batata' (sweet potato).