Y él es mi hijo Neal.
And this is my son, Neal.
At a holiday dinner, a father introduces his family to a guest one by one, and mi hijo plus a name is how he presents his son.
From Mejor solo que mal acompañado · Spanish audio
Spanish vocabularyA1 · Beginner
How to say "son" in Spanish
el hijo
nounmasculineplural: los hijosfeminine: la hija
"Son" in Spanish is el hijo. The plural hijos means sons, or children of both sexes, so ¿Tienes hijos? asks whether you have kids. The h is silent and the j is a raspy, breathy sound: EE-hoh.
Hear "hijo" in real movie scenes
One introduction and one question. Each video starts and stops on that line.
Sí, pero ¿tienes hijos?
Yes, but do you have kids?
On a day when kids visit the office, a little girl quizzes the boss, and hijos here means children, boys or girls.
From The Office · Spanish audio
Son words in Spanish
Oldest, youngest, only, step or in-law.
| Spanish | English |
|---|---|
| el hijo mayor | oldest son |
| el hijo menor | youngest son |
| el hijo único | only child (a boy) |
| el hijastro | stepson |
| el yerno | son-in-law |
| el nieto | grandson |
Tip: In much of Latin America, parents and grandparents run mi hijo together into mijo, a warm way to call a son or any young person.
Grammar: el hijo, los hijos
Four points for talking about your kids.
Son and daughter
el hijo is son, la hija is daughter. Two daughters are las hijas.Hijos means kids
¿Tienes hijos? means "Do you have children?" With a boy and a girl, answer Tengo dos hijos.Age goes with tener
Mi hijo tiene cinco años. Word for word: my son has five years.Silent h, breathy j
Say EE-hoh. The j comes from the back of the throat, like a strong English h.Example sentences
Sentences from the Wordy Spanish course. Tap to listen.
Mi hijo estudia español.
My son is studying Spanish.
Mi hijo es muy tranquilo.
My son is very calm.
Y él es mi hijo Neal.
And this is my son, Neal.
Mi hijo tiene once años.
My son is eleven.
Common mistakes
Mistakes learners make with this word, and how to fix them.
✗Mi hijo es cinco años
✓Mi hijo tiene cinco años
Spanish gives age with tener, not ser.
✗mis hijos (about two daughters)
✓mis hijas
When all of them are girls, use hijas.
✗HEE-joh (pronunciation)
✓EE-hoh
Skip the h, and make the j a breathy h from the throat.
Practice: 3 quick exercises
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How to remember it
Hijo sounds like "EE-ho". Picture a dad at the playground shouting "Yee-ho!" as his son flies down the slide.
Questions about "son" in Spanish
How do you say son in Spanish?
El hijo. "My son" is mi hijo, and a daughter is la hija.
How do you say kids in Spanish?
For your own kids, los hijos: ¿Tienes hijos? For children in general, say los niños.
How do you pronounce hijo?
EE-hoh. The h is silent, and the j is a breathy sound from the throat, like a strong English h.
What does mijo mean?
It's mi hijo said as one word. In much of Latin America it's an affectionate way to call a son or a young person.
