Inklingo

How to Say "pope" in Spanish

English → Spanish

papa

PAH-pahˈpa.pa

nounB1formal
Use 'papa' when referring to the head of the Catholic Church, the most common and widely understood translation for 'pope'.
A figure wearing a white cassock and a white zucchetto (skullcap), representing the Pope.

Examples

El papa dio un discurso en la plaza principal.

The Pope gave a speech in the main square.

Esperamos la visita del papa en octubre.

We await the Pope's visit in October.

Use of the Article

Even though 'Papa' refers to a specific person (the current Pope), Spanish usually requires the definite article ('el') when mentioning his title: 'El papa visitó...'

Confusing Meaning by Gender

Mistake: “Saying 'La papa' when trying to talk about the religious leader.”

Correction: Use the masculine article 'El papa' (the Pope); 'La papa' means 'the potato' or 'mashed food'.

p.

nounB2informal
Use the abbreviation 'P.' followed by a name when informally referring to a Catholic priest, similar to 'Father' in English, not the Pope himself.

Examples

Hablamos con el P. Juan después de la misa.

We spoke with Father Juan after the mass.

pope

nounC2formal
Use 'pope' (note the spelling) only when referring to a priest within the Orthodox Church, which is a distinct religious context from the Roman Catholic Pope.

Examples

El pope bendijo la casa según el rito ortodoxo.

The priest blessed the house according to the Orthodox rite.

Confusing 'Papa' with 'P.'

The most frequent error is using the abbreviation 'P.' to refer to the Pope. Remember that 'P.' is an abbreviation for 'Padre' (Father) and is used for Catholic priests, not the head of the church. Always use 'papa' for the Pope.

Related Translations

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