la niña de mis ojos
/la niɲa de mis oxos/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'apple of my eye' is expressed in Spanish as la niña de mis ojos.
This idiom is used to express that someone is a person's most cherished or favorite person.
What does it mean word for word?
Literally, la niña de mis ojos translates to 'the girl of my eyes'.
Which one should you use?
While the default form is la niña de mis ojos, if the person you are referring to is male, you should use el niño de mis ojos instead.
Did you know?
- While the English phrase uses 'apple', Spanish uses niña because the pupil was historically viewed as a small, doll-like figure reflecting the observer. This reflects an ancient belief that the pupil was a tiny person.
- The phrase is a direct translation of a biblical metaphor found in the Book of Zechariah. This shared religious origin is why both English and Spanish have nearly identical idioms using eye imagery.
- While niña usually means 'girl', in a medical context it is the standard term for the 'pupil' of the eye.
Examples in context
- Mi hija es la niña de mis ojos. Siempre la protegeré y amaré.My daughter is the apple of my eye. I will always protect and love her.
- Mi esposa es mi tesoro. No puedo imaginar mi vida sin ella.My wife is the apple of my eye. I can't imagine my life without her.
- Juan es el consentido de la familia. Siempre le damos lo que quiere.Juan is the apple of our eye. We always give him what he wants.
- Tú siempre serás la niña de mis ojos.You will always be the apple of my eye.
Example conversation
Elena and Alejandro are looking at a photo of their daughter.
- ElenaMira qué linda se ve en esta foto.Look how cute she looks in this photo.
- AlejandroEs verdad, es la niña de mis ojos.It is true, she is the apple of my eye.
- ElenaYo también la quiero muchísimo.I love her very much too.
- AlejandroEs la persona más especial para nosotros.She is the most special person for us.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
