Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| niño | /ˈniɲo/ | masculine |
| hijo | /ˈixo/ | masculine |
| hija | /ˈixa/ | feminine |
| niña | /ˈniɲa/ | feminine |
The term used depends on whether you are describing a person's developmental stage or their relationship to a parent. Use niño or niña to refer to a young person based on their age, regardless of who their parents are. Use hijo or hija when you are specifically referring to someone's offspring, such as a son or a daughter.
Which one should you use?
Use niño and niña to mean a boy or girl in terms of being a young child. In contrast, use hijo and hija to denote the specific parental relationship of being a son or a daughter.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Colombia, Chino is a common informal term of endearment used to refer to children.
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to a group of children that includes both males and females, the masculine plural forms are used. Use hijos to refer to a group of sons and daughters, and use niños to refer to a group of boys and girls.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈniɲo/
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone mi hijo or mi hija is used as a term of affection by elders toward any young person, even if they are not related.
- The word niño may have originated as a piece of baby talk, likely imitating the repetitive sounds made by infants.
- While niño means 'child', in some regions it can be used as an adjective to describe someone who is naive or spoiled, regardless of their age.
Examples in context
- No es una niña.She's not a child.This sentence is useful for demonstrating the use of niña.Tatoeba #2036361 by Shishir, translation #1191962 by Anon
- No soy un niño.I'm not a child.This sentence is useful for demonstrating the use of niño.Tatoeba #2351492 by Shishir, translation #1839533 by CK
- Es sólo un niño.He is but a child.Tatoeba #633246 by clerval, translation #33043 by CM
- Hola, niñoHello, boy
- Buenos días, niñaGood morning, girl
- El niño está estudiandoThe child is studying
- La niña es muy inteligenteThe girl is very smart
- ¿Cómo estás, pequeño?How are you, little one?
- Mi pequeña tiene una sonrisa hermosaMy little one has a beautiful smile
- ¡Hola, mi bebé hermoso!Hello, my beautiful baby!
- Mi bebé está durmiendoMy baby is sleeping
- 565 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are talking about a neighbor's son.
- María¿Dónde está el niño?Where is the child?
- AlejandroEl niño está con su madre.The child is with his mother.
- MaríaAlejandro, ¿es un niño tranquilo?Alejandro, is he a quiet child?
- AlejandroSí, es un niño muy calmado.Yes, he is a very calm child.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “child” translations and entries niño, hijo, hija, niña, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hija, hijo, niño, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
