If you have spent time on holiday in Spain, or have recently moved here, you have probably heard the Spanish using the words ‘mija‘ and ‘mijo‘ quite a lot.
If you are like me when I first got to Spain though, you probably don’t know what the two words mean.
So what does ‘mija’ mean in Spanish? And what does ‘mijo‘ mean? And when can you usually use them?
‘Mija‘ is actually a contraction of ‘mi hija‘ (my daughter) and ‘mijo‘ a contraction of ‘mi hijo‘ (my son). It is often used as a slang term, and as a form of affection.
That means you might hear a Spanish man might call his daughter ‘mija‘ and his son ‘mijo‘.
‘Mija‘ or ‘mijo‘ can also be used with anyone, even an adult, and means something similar to the English slang terms ‘honey‘ or ‘sweetie’. That’s why you will often hear the Spanish saying it to a friend, relative or someone else they like.
You will even sometimes here it when a Spaniard is addressing someone, but they cannot remember their name.
After all, it is a great way of being nice to someone without letting on you know you have met them several times before, but you have no idea what they are called.
So, the next time you hear someone saying ‘mija’ or ‘mijo‘ in Spain, you will know exactly what the words mean.
And yes, you can use them yourself. They just sound so incredibly cute!
More: What does ‘Guapa’ or ‘Guapo’ mean? And can you use it?