Inklingo

How to Say "offspring" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “offspring” is “hijos” — use 'hijos' when referring to one's children or descendants in a general human context, or when the offspring is not specifically an animal's young..

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hijos

/ee-khos//ˈixos/

NounA1General
Use 'hijos' when referring to one's children or descendants in a general human context, or when the offspring is not specifically an animal's young.
A colorful illustration of a smiling adult holding the hands of two small, happy children, one boy and one girl, symbolizing the general meaning of children.

Examples

¿Cuántos hijos tienes?

How many children do you have?

Tengo dos hijos: un niño y una niña.

I have two children: a boy and a girl.

Todos mis hijos viven en Madrid.

All my children live in Madrid.

The All-Inclusive Plural

In Spanish, if you have a group of people that includes even one male, you use the masculine plural form. So, 'hijos' can mean 'sons', but it most often means 'children' (sons and daughters together).

Using 'hijas' for a mixed group

Mistake: “If you have a son and a daughter, you might say: 'Tengo dos hijas.'”

Correction: Always say 'Tengo dos hijos.' Use 'hijas' only when talking about a group of ALL daughters.

cría

NounA2General
Use 'cría' specifically for the young of an animal, such as a cub, pup, or chick.

Examples

La leona protege a su cría de los depredadores.

The lioness protects her cub from predators.

Human vs. Animal Offspring

The most common mistake is using 'cría' for human children. Remember, 'cría' is almost exclusively for the young of animals. For human descendants, 'hijos' is the standard and more general term.

Related Translations

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