der Dad
dad
A colloquial term borrowed from English for one's own father.
EXAMPLE
Mein Dad hat mir zum Geburtstag ein Fahrrad geschenkt.
My dad gave me a bicycle for my birthday.
der Dad
dad
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Meanings
Usage tips
Origin and register
'Dad' is a direct loanword from English. In German, it is used colloquially, especially by younger people, and is more common in spoken language than in written language.
EXAMPLE
Ich muss meinen Dad anrufen und fragen, ob er mich abholen kann.
I have to call my dad and ask whether he can pick me up.
Use in a sentence
The word 'Dad' is almost always used with a possessive pronoun like 'mein' (my), 'dein' (your), or 'ihr' (her/their). Using it with an article ('der Dad') is rare.
EXAMPLE
Mein Dad und ich gehen am Wochenende oft zusammen angeln.
My dad and I often go fishing together on the weekend.
Common mistake
Avoid using 'Dad' in formal or official contexts. In a business letter or when dealing with a government office, you would instead write 'mein Vater' (my father).
EXAMPLE
In der Bewerbung schrieb er: „Mein Vater ist von Beruf Ingenieur.“
In the application, he wrote: 'My father is an engineer by profession.'
Compare with
Dad vs Vater
father
Vater and Dad can refer to one's own male parent. Vater is neutral and is also suitable for more formal contexts. Dad is borrowed from English and sounds clearly more informal, so it mainly fits casual personal conversations.
Dad
Im Gespräch mit Freunden nennt Ben seinen Dad als Kontaktperson.
In a conversation with friends, Ben names his dad as the contact person.
Vater
Im Antrag gibt Ben seinen Vater als Kontaktperson an.
Ben lists his father as the contact person on the application.
In real life
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