hijos
“hijos” means “children” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:
children
Also: sons, offspring
📝 In Action
¿Cuántos hijos tienes?
A1How many children do you have?
Tengo dos hijos: un niño y una niña.
A1I have two children: a boy and a girl.
Todos mis hijos viven en Madrid.
A2All my children live in Madrid.
Sus hijos son gemelos.
B1His sons are twins.
products
Also: natives, followers
📝 In Action
Estos problemas económicos son hijos de la mala gestión.
B2These economic problems are the products of poor management.
Somos hijos de nuestro tiempo y de nuestra cultura.
C1We are products of our time and our culture.
Translate to Spanish
✏️ Quick Practice
Quick Quiz: hijos
Question 1 of 1
Your friend Ana has one son and two daughters. How would she say 'My children are playing in the park'?
📚 More Resources
👥 Word Family▼
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼
'Hijos' comes from the Latin word 'fīlius', which meant 'son'. Over many centuries of being spoken, the 'f' sound at the beginning softened to an 'h' (which is now silent), and the 'li' sound transformed into a 'j' sound, giving us the modern Spanish word.
First recorded: Around the 10th century
Cognates (Related words)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Spanish use 'hijos' for a group of boys and girls? Isn't that sexist?
It's a great question! This is a feature of Spanish grammar called the 'masculine default'. For mixed-gender groups, the masculine plural form is used. It's not a comment on importance, but simply the grammatical rule. You see it with other words too, like 'padres' (parents) and 'hermanos' (siblings).
What is the singular of 'hijos'?
The singular form depends on gender. It's 'hijo' for one son and 'hija' for one daughter.
Can I ever just say 'niños' instead of 'hijos'?
Yes, often you can! 'Niños' also means 'children'. 'Hijos' emphasizes the family relationship (your specific children), while 'niños' is more general (any children). But in casual conversation, they are often used interchangeably.