Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
Children in Spanish: Niños vs Hijos
Niños · noun (masculine, plural) · NEE-nyohs
Children in Spanish is niños when you mean kids in general, and hijos when you mean someone's offspring. The masculine plural covers a mixed group of boys and girls.
Niños is NEE-nyohs, with the ñ as a ny sound.
Los niños juegan en el parque después de la escuela.
The children play in the park after school.
Children in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for children, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| niños | children | NEE-nyohs | Default, widely understood |
| hijos | children | children as offspring (sons and daughters) | |
| chicos | children | kids (informal) |
How Native Speakers Use Niños
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Kids in general
Los niños juegan en el parque después de la escuela.
The children play in the park after school.
Niños are children by age.
Offspring
Tienen tres hijos: dos niñas y un niño.
They have three children: two girls and a boy.
Hijos are children by relationship.
Age range
Este programa es para niños menores de diez años.
This program is for children under ten.
Niños for a target age group.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Niños
Using niños for one's own kids
Incorrect: Tengo dos niños.
Correct: Tengo dos hijos.
To say how many children you have, Spanish uses hijos (offspring), since tengo dos niños sounds like two young boys in your care rather than your own kids.
Thinking niños means only boys
Incorrect: Assuming niños can't include girls.
Correct: Niños (plural) covers a mixed group.
The masculine plural niños includes both boys and girls together, while niñas is only girls.
Lock in Children Vocabulary with the Parrot Method
Why word lists alone don't stick
Memorizing a translation feels productive, but most learners forget 70% of what they studied within 48 hours. Vocabulary needs spaced repetition AND real-world exposure to transfer to long-term memory.
See Niños used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using niños in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Los niños juegan en el parque después de la escuela. while watching someone live the moment, connecting meaning, sound, and rhythm at once.
Save, review, repeat, stay consistent
Tap any word to save it. Parrot's spaced-repetition system surfaces it right before you'd forget, no manual flashcard creation. The watch, parrot back, save, review cycle turns recognition into fluency at 2.7x the speed of traditional study.
Common Questions About Children in Spanish
- How do you say children in Spanish?
- Children in Spanish is niños for kids in general or hijos for one's own children, chosen based on whether you mean young kids or offspring.
- What is the difference between niños and hijos?
- Niños are children by age (young kids), while hijos are children by relationship, so your forty-year-old is still your hijo but not a niño.
- How do I say kids informally?
- Common informal words include chicos, chavos (Mexico), chamacos, peques, and críos (Spain), all meaning kids casually.