What does it mean word for word?
The phrase cómo está tu hija literally means "how is your daughter", composed of cómo (how), está (is – referring to a state of being), tu (your) and hija (daughter).
Which one should you use?
Do not confuse ¿cómo está tu hija? with ¿cómo es tu hija? While the former asks about her well-being, the latter uses the verb ser to ask about her personality or physical characteristics (e.g., "What is your daughter like?"). Additionally, ¿Qué tal tu hijita? is a variation used to ask how someone's "little daughter" is doing.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some regions, the word niña is used instead of hija to mean daughter.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the question formal or polite, use the possessive adjective su instead of tu.
When do people say it?
When someone asks this question, a common way to respond is Está muy bien, gracias (She is very well, thank you).
Did you know?
- The word hija underwent a strange transformation from the Old Spanish word fija. Over time, the original 'f' sound was not dropped but actually shifted to become the silent 'h' we see today.
- When someone asks how your daughter is, answering Está bien can sometimes function as a 'social shield'. It is often a polite way to signal that you do not wish to discuss her personal struggles or health details.
- Adding the suffix -ita to create hijita is not necessarily about the daughter's age. It is a common way to make the entire inquiry sound much warmer and more affectionate to the listener.
Examples in context
- ¿Cómo está su hijita querida?How is your dear little daughter?
- Hola María, ¿cómo está su hija? Espero que esté bien.Hi María, how is your daughter? I hope she's doing well.
- Hola Juan, ¿cómo está tu hijita? ¿Está disfrutando de las vacaciones?Hi Juan, how is your little daughter? Is she enjoying her vacation?
Example conversation
Two friends meet for coffee at a cafe.
- ElenaHola Alejandro, ¿cómo está tu hija?Hello Alejandro, how is your daughter?
- AlejandroElla está muy bien, gracias por preguntar.She is doing very well, thanks for asking.
- ElenaMe alegra mucho escuchar eso.I am very glad to hear that.
- AlejandroGracias, Elena. ¿Y tú cómo estás?Thanks, Elena. And how are you?
Sources
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries cómo, hija, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
