hijo de
/ixo de/from spelling rules
The Spanish phrase for "son of a" is hijo de.
The phrase hijo de literally means "son of". While it can be used to describe someone's parentage, it is frequently used as an incomplete fragment of a common slang insult, hijo de puta (son of a bitch).
Meaning: euphemism for "son of a bitch" (intj)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the noun hijo (son) and the preposition de (of).
Which one should you use?
hijo de can be a literal description of parentage, or it can serve as the beginning of a common insult.
Did you know?
- While hijo de puta is an insult, in some regions it is used among very close friends as a term of endearment or to express admiration for someone's cleverness.
- The word hijo has evolved from the Old Spanish spelling fijo, which is why you might see it written with an 'f' in very old Spanish texts or historical literature.
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, such as parts of Mexico, people might say hijo de su madre as a softer, socially acceptable way to express frustration without using the full vulgar insult.
Examples in context
- ¡Sos un hijo de puta!You are a son of a bitch!This sentence is useful for seeing the full insult containing hijo de.Tatoeba #5058605 by don_ramon, translation #10832938 by mortalis
- Él es un arrogante hijo de puta.He's an arrogant son of a bitch.Tatoeba #2230336 by hayastan, translation #2230291 by Hybrid
- Tom aseguró ser el hijo de un hombre rico.Tom claimed to be the son of a rich man.This sentence shows the literal use of hijo de to describe parentage.Tatoeba #1953439 by marcelostockle, translation #1244950 by Eldad
- Hijo de un político corruptoSon of a corrupt politician
- Hijo de una persona de mala reputaciónSon of a person with a bad reputation
- ¡Ese tipo es un hijo de puta!That guy is a son of a bitch!
- Me robaron el celular, ¡hijo de su madre!They stole my cellphone, son of a gun!
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Mateo are reacting to a driver who cut them off in traffic.
- Sofía¡Mira ese conductor! Casi nos choca.Look at that driver! He almost hit us.
- Mateo¡Qué hijo de…! No tiene cuidado.What a son of a…! He isn't careful.
- SofíaEs verdad, es muy peligroso.That's true, he is very dangerous.
- MateoEse hijo de nada siempre maneja así.That son of a bitch always drives like that.
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.
