English · Word Candidate

pa

/pɑː/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: pas

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Father, papa.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

bố, ba

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

NounRegister: colloquial

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Grandpa, grandfather.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

ông nội, ông ngoại

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

NounRegister: colloquial

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A fortified Maori settlement, especially of pre-European times.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

một khu định cư Maori được củng cố

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Examples

The very existence of fortified pā was often a sign that those who lived near such complexes sought to discourage attack and wanted to make conflict less likely, not more so.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 4

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Any Maori village or settlement; a kainga.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

bất kỳ ngôi làng hoặc khu định cư Maori nào

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Noun

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “pa” mean?

Father, papa.

Is “pa” formal or informal?

pa is generally colloquial.