hijo de
/ixo de/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'child of' is expressed in Spanish as hijo de.
Which one should you use?
While hijo de literally means 'son of', it is the standard way to say 'child of' regardless of gender in many contexts, though hija de must be used specifically for a female child.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine form hijo de changes to the feminine hija de when referring to a female child. The plural form hijos de is used to refer to multiple children or a mixed-gender group of children. When hijo de is followed by a masculine singular noun starting with 'el', the words contract into hijo del. When hijo de is followed by a feminine singular noun starting with 'la', it becomes hijo de la without contraction.
Did you know?
- The phrase hijo de is the root of one of the most common insults in the Spanish language. When used alone or followed by puta, it transforms from a familial description into a strong vulgarity.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, the term hijo is used affectionately for people who are not biological children. A mentor or an older person may call a younger person mi hijo as a gesture of paternal warmth.
- The word hijo underwent a phonetic shift from the Old Spanish 'fijo', where the initial 'f' sound eventually transformed into the modern 'h' sound.
Examples in context
- Si pudiera renacer, querría ser hijo de una familia rica, entonces estaría listo para la vida.If I could be reborn, I would want to be the child of a rich family, then I'd be set for life.This sentence shows how to use hijo de in a hypothetical context regarding being reborn into a rich family.Tatoeba #1425069 by peibolvig, translation #30742 by magnificentgoddess
- Eres hijo del universo, lo mismo que los árboles y las estrellas, tienes derecho a estar aquí.You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars, you have a right to be here.This sentence uses hijo de to express a poetic connection to the universe.Tatoeba #1510011 by Shishir, translation #1490957 by BraveSentry
- Marta es la hija de María.Marta is the daughter of María.
- Fernando es el hijo del presidente.Fernando is the son of the president.
- ¿Recuerdas a Ana, la hija de Juan?Do you remember Ana, Juan's daughter?
- Manuel es el hijo de mi vecina.Manuel is my neighbor's son.
- Javier es el niño de mi amiga.Javier is my friend's boy.
- Él es el hijo de la vecina.He is the child of the neighbor.
Example conversation
Mateo and Lucía are talking about a coworker's family.
- Mateo¿Sabes quién es ese niño?Do you know who that child is?
- LucíaSí, es el hijo de mi jefa.Yes, he is the child of my boss.
- MateoAh, por eso es tan educado.Ah, that's why he is so polite.
- LucíaExactamente, su madre lo crió muy bien.Exactly, his mother raised him very well.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, hijo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
