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hija

ee-khahˈixa

“hija” means “daughter” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

daughter

NounfA1
A mother and her young daughter holding hands and smiling while walking together on a path in a park.

📝 In Action

Mi hija mayor se llama Sofía.

A1

My oldest daughter is named Sofia.

Tengo dos hijos y una hija.

A1

I have two sons and one daughter.

La hija de mi vecina es muy inteligente.

A2

My neighbor's daughter is very smart.

Word Connections

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • hija única – only daughter
  • hija adoptiva – adopted daughter
  • hija política – daughter-in-law

Idioms & Expressions

dear

Also: honey, girl
NounfB1informal
Latin America
An older woman tenderly smiling at a younger woman, placing her hand gently on the younger woman's shoulder to show affection.

📝 In Action

Ven aquí, hija, que te ayudo con eso.

B1

Come here, dear, let me help you with that.

¡Pero hija, cómo se te ocurre hacer eso!

B1

Oh honey, how could you even think of doing that!

Ella es hija de su tiempo, con ideas muy modernas.

B2

She is a daughter of her time, with very modern ideas.

Word Connections

Synonyms

  • mija (my dear / my daughter (contraction))
  • niña (girl)

Translate to Spanish

Words that translate to "hija" in Spanish:

daughter→dear→girl→honey→

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: hija

Question 1 of 2

An older woman you don't know says to you, '¿Necesitas ayuda, hija?' What does she most likely mean?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
hijo(son) — Noun
hijastro(stepson) — Noun
hijastra(stepdaughter) — Noun
ahijada(goddaughter) — Noun
ahijado(godson) — Noun
🎵 Rhymes▼
fijasortijavalija
📚 Etymology▼

Comes from the Latin word 'filia', which also meant 'daughter'. Over time, the 'f' sound at the beginning of the word softened and disappeared, and the 'li' sound in the middle transformed into the 'j' sound (/x/) we hear in Spanish today.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Portuguese: filhaFrench: filleItalian: figlia

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'hija' and 'mija'?

'Hija' simply means 'daughter'. 'Mija' is a loving contraction of 'mi hija' (my daughter). People use 'mija' as a term of endearment for their own daughter, but also for other young women they feel affection for, much like saying 'honey' or 'sweetie'.

How do you make 'hija' plural?

To make 'hija' plural, you just add an -s at the end: 'hijas'. This means 'daughters'. For example, 'Tengo dos hijas' means 'I have two daughters'.