hola hija
/ola ixa/from spelling rules
The phrase hola hija is the Spanish way to say "hello daughter".
This phrase is a greeting used by a parent to address their daughter.
Which one should you use?
To change the phrase to address a son instead of a daughter, replace the feminine hija with the masculine hijo.
How does it change in a sentence?
In written Spanish, a comma is used to separate the greeting from the person being addressed (the vocative), such as in hola, hija.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, parents often use the term hija or mi hija as a term of endearment for any young woman, even if she is not their biological daughter.
- The word hola is thought to have originated from a command to 'stop' or 'hey!', rather than a word meant for polite greeting.
- While hija is the standard term, many Spanish-speaking parents use the diminutive hijita as a term of endearment, even when the daughter is an adult.
Examples in context
- ¡Hola hija!Hello, daughter!
- ¡Hola hija mía!Hello, my daughter!
- ¡Hola hija querida!Hello, beloved daughter!
Example conversation
Mateo greets his daughter as she enters the kitchen.
- ElenaHola hija, ¿qué tal la escuela?Hello daughter, how was school?
- MateoHola papá, todo estuvo muy bien.Hello dad, everything was very good.
- Elena¿Tienes mucha tarea hoy?Do you have a lot of homework today?
- MateoNo, terminé casi todo en clase.No, I finished almost everything in class.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hija, hola, CC BY-SA 4.0.
