Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
How to Say Daughter in Spanish: Hija and Family Vocabulary
Hija · noun (feminine) · EE-hah
Daughter in Spanish is hija. The h is silent, so it sounds like EE-hah. The masculine counterpart is hijo (son), and the plural hijos can mean sons or children of any gender.
EE-hah, two syllables, stress on the first. The h is completely silent. The j has a soft aspirated sound, like a breathy English h.
Mi hija cumple diez años la próxima semana.
My daughter turns ten next week.
Daughter in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for daughter, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| hija | daughter | EE-hah | Default, widely understood |
| niña | daughter | girl, sometimes used informally for daughter | |
| nena | daughter | Argentina, informal for little girl / daughter |
How Native Speakers Use Hija
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Introducing your daughter
Te presento a mi hija, Sofía.
Let me introduce you to my daughter, Sofía.
The standard way to introduce a family member using a + mi hija.
Talking about children
Tengo dos hijos: un hijo y una hija.
I have two children: a son and a daughter.
Hijos in the plural means children (mixed or all male). Hija and hijo specify the gender.
Affectionate address
Ven acá, hija, quiero contarte algo.
Come here, sweetheart, I want to tell you something.
Hija is often used as a term of affection by parents, grandparents, or even close older friends, not just literally meaning daughter.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Hija
Pronouncing the h in hija
Incorrect: Pronouncing it as HEE-hah with a hard h at the start.
Correct: EE-hah — the h is completely silent.
In hija, the h is purely decorative—the word begins with the vowel sound ee. Adding an aspirated English h at the start makes the word unrecognizable.
Using hijo when you mean daughter
Incorrect: Mi hijo María es muy inteligente.
Correct: Mi hija María es muy inteligente.
Hijo is son (masculine). Hija is daughter (feminine). The gender of the noun must match the person you are describing.
Lock in Daughter 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 Hija used by native speakers
Parrot's short-form videos feature native speakers using hija in real situations. Context-based exposure beats flashcards, you hear Mi hija cumple diez años la próxima semana. 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 Daughter in Spanish
- How do you say daughter in Spanish?
- Daughter in Spanish is hija, pronounced EE-hah. The h is silent, and the j sounds like a soft, breathy English h.
- What is the plural of hija?
- The plural is hijas (daughters). If you are referring to a mixed group of sons and daughters, Spanish uses the masculine plural hijos to mean children.
- Can hija be used as a term of endearment?
- Parents, grandparents, and older relatives regularly say hija or mija (a contraction of mi hija) as a warm way to address a young woman or girl, even if she is not literally their daughter.