Spanish word

hijo

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈixo/

Meaning

  • masculine nounson

Example

¿Dónde está tu hijo?

Where is your son?

Illustration for hijo (son)

More examples

Voy a recoger a mi hijo al colegio.

I'm going to pick up my son at school.

Core concept

Male descendant in a parental relationship.

Common phrases

  • mi hijo

    my son

  • tener un hijo

    have a son

  • hijo único

    only son

Similar words

niño: Young boy in early childhood.
chico: Informal term for a young male or teen.
muchacho: Male from boyhood into young adulthood.
varón: Person of the male sex.

Definition in Spanish

Persona de sexo masculino que desciende de otra por línea filial; se usa para referirse tanto a un niño como a un varón adulto en relación de parentesco.

Word origin

Derives from Latin filius meaning 'son', with medieval Spanish sound changes (initial f became h and palatalization of li) producing the modern form hijo.

Usage tips

  • Spanish normally marks possession with mi/su hijo, hijito is a common affectionate diminutive, and the construction hijo de + phrase can be insulting depending on context.

Other meanings

  • childnoun
  • offspringnoun

Opposites

Related words

  • hijastrostepsonnoun
  • hijitolittle sonnoun

Word lists with this word