How to greet young children in Spanish?
Please help me
I am studying with 3 cutest kids from Puerto Rico. I really like them and would love to know if there is a way to greet them in Spanish like we do here "hi, baby or hi sweety" something like that.....
8 Answers
Another common way of showing affection is by adding -ito/-ita to their names or descriptions.
Literally translated, it means "little", but it usually is used as an endearing nickname.
For instance: Barbara becomes Barbarita Jorge becomes Jorgito etc.
It only works on some names (on others it can sound very awkward). If you aren't sure, you might want to listen to the parents and see if they are calling them by a diminutive nickname.
You can also say: "¡Hola chiquitos!" or "¡Hola chiquititos!" Which translate to something like "Hello favorite little kids!" or "Hello little little ones!"
But be careful - don't let your younger sister catch you calling your other sister hermanita if you don't call her that....that could show that you favor one and not the other.
I find tripping them, knocking ice cream cones out of their hands or just pushing them over (any of these can be followed by pointing at them and laughing) to be quite satisfying.
"Hola, cariño" is more or less "Hello, sweetie" "Hola, cielo" is literally "Hello, heaven", but it is a common way to express endearment, like "pumpkin" or "sweetie". Another is "chatico". Literally, it means "little pig-nosed", but it is not considered rude, but rather endearing.
Well I actually agree with Jaysprout's greetings most kids are treated like trash, or in America anyway. This is just my opinion. The adults of America expect way too much out of us kids.
Cariño/a and cielo sounds to me like chat speak like a guy to a lady that he would like to get to know better so is it acceptable to address young children likewise I mean you wouldn't want to get run in for saying something in all innocence to a child so does it all depend on wether or not you are aquainted with the child.
Thanks for that Sludge that sounds a better way of addressing young children, use diminutives.
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