tu hija
/tu ixa/from spelling rules
In Spanish, 'your daughter' is translated as tu hija.
This phrase refers to the female child of the person you are speaking to. The noun hija is feminine. If you were referring to a son, you would use the masculine form hijo.
Which one should you use?
'Tu hija' is used for someone you know well, such as a friend or a peer, whereas 'su hija' is used for strangers or superiors.
How does it change in a sentence?
When speaking to someone in a formal context, you should use su hija instead of tu hija.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish dialects, the phrase hija de… is not just a literal description but the start of a highly offensive insult targeting a person's mother.
- The word hija evolved from the Old Spanish fija because the Spanish language shifted the initial 'f' sound to a silent 'h' over centuries.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, calling someone hija or mi hija is a common term of endearment used by elders toward younger women, even if they are not biologically related.
Examples in context
- Disculpe, ¿puede decirme algo acerca de su hija?Excuse me, can you tell me something about your daughter?
- Oye, ¿cómo está tu hija? Hace mucho que no la veo.Hey, how is your daughter? It's been a while since I last saw her.
- Abuela, ¿cómo se encuentra tu hijita? ¿La puedo visitar?Grandma, how is your little girl doing? Can I visit her?
- Tu hija es muy inteligente.Your daughter is very intelligent.
- ¿Cómo está tu hija?How is your daughter?
- Me gusta mucho tu hija.I really like your daughter.
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are talking about family at a cafe.
- Javier¿Cómo está tu hija, Sofía?How is your daughter, Sofía?
- SofíaElla está muy bien, gracias.She is doing very well, thank you.
- JavierQué bueno saberlo.That is good to know.
- SofíaGracias por preguntar, Javier.Thanks for asking, Javier.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries hija, tu, CC BY-SA 4.0.
