mi hijo
/mi ixo/from spelling rules
In Spanish, mi hijo means "my son."
The phrase is used by a parent to refer to their male child. While it literally means "my son," it is also used by parents to refer to their child in a general sense when the gender is known.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of mi (my) and hijo (son).
Which one should you use?
To refer to a female child, use the feminine form mi hija.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, the contraction Mijo is commonly used. In Spain, the term Mi chaval is used to refer to a child or young person. Additionally, the informal term Mi nene can be used to mean "little one" to refer to one's child affectionately.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form mis hijos can mean "my sons" or it can be used as a gender-neutral way to say "my children" to include both sons and daughters.
Did you know?
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, an elder might call a much younger person 'mi hijo' or 'mija' as a term of endearment, even if there is no biological relation.
- The spelling of 'hijo' hides its connection to the Latin 'filius', a word that is the direct ancestor of the English word 'filial' as in 'filial piety'.
- In some contexts, mi hijo is used as a gentle way to address someone during a lecture or a reprimand, similar to how 'my boy' is used in English.
Examples in context
- Mi hijo es muy inteligente.My son is very intelligent.
- Tengo que llamar a mi hijo.I have to call my son.
- Mi hijo estudia en la universidad.My son studies at the university.
Example conversation
Two parents are talking about their children at a park.
- Alejandro¿Cómo está tu hijo, Sofía?How is your son, Sofía?
- SofíaMi hijo está muy bien, gracias.My son is very well, thank you.
- AlejandroMe alegra mucho escuchar eso.I am very happy to hear that.
- SofíaGracias, Alejandro, eres muy amable.Thank you, Alejandro, you are very kind.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hijo, mi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
