mini yo
/mini ʝo/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'mini me' is translated into Spanish as mini yo.
mini yo is used colloquially to refer to a child who mimics a parent's appearance, style or personality.
What does it mean word for word?
This phrase is a direct calque of the English 'mini me', combining the prefix mini with the first-person pronoun yo (me/I).
How do you pronounce it?
/mini ʝo/
Did you know?
- If a child is a mini yo in personality, people often say sale el padre or sale la madre, implying the parent is 'coming out' of the child.
- If you want to say a child is exactly like their parent in Spanish, you might skip mini yo and instead use the expression es un calco, meaning 'is a carbon copy'.
- The word yo originates from the Latin egō̆, which is also the distant ancestor of the English word 'ego'.
Examples in context
- Me gustaría presentarles a mi versión en miniatura, mi sobrino.I would like to introduce you to my mini me, my nephew.
- Te presento a Juan, él es como mi yo en miniatura.Let me introduce you to Juan, he's like my mini me.
- Ella es mi mini yo.She is my mini me.
- Ese niño es un mini yo de su padre.That boy is a mini me of his father.
- Mi hija es básicamente mi mini yo.My daughter is basically my mini me.
Example conversation
Alejandro and María are looking at a photo of María's daughter.
- Alejandro¡Qué linda! Se parece mucho a ti.How cute! She looks a lot like you.
- MaríaSí, es mi mini yo.Yes, she is my mini me.
- AlejandroTiene tu misma sonrisa.She has your same smile.
- MaríaEs igualita a mí.She is exactly like me.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries yo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
