vs
QUICK ANSWER
"Hijo" is a noun which is often translated as "son", and "a" is a preposition which is often translated as "to". Learn more about the difference between "hijo" and "a" below.
el hijo(
ee
-
hoh
)A masculine noun is used with masculine articles and adjectives (e.g., el hombre guapo, el sol amarillo).
1. (relative)
b. child (of unspecified sex)
¿Quieres saber el sexo de tu hijo antes de que nazca?Do you want to know the sex of your child before it's born?
c. kid (colloquial) (of unspecified sex)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
Si tienes solo un hijo, es importante que te asegures de que se relaciona con otros niños.If you have just one kid, it's important to make sure that they socialize with other kids.
los hijos
A plural noun indicates that there is more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
2. (relatives)
a. children (of unspecified sex)
Tengo cuatro hijos: Ana, Marta, Antonio y Miguel.I have four children: Ana, Marta, Antonio, and Miguel.
b. kids (colloquial) (of unspecified sex)
A word or phrase that is commonly used in conversational speech (e.g., skinny, grandma).
¿Cuántos hijos tienes? - Tres, dos niños y una niña.How many kids do you have? - Three, two boys and a girl.
d. son and daughter (male and female)
Mis hijos trabajan los dos en la medicina veterinaria. Julia es veterinaria y Carlos es enfermero veterinario.My son and daughter both work in veterinary medicine. Julia is a veterinarian and Carlos is a veterinary nurse.
e. sons and daughters (males and females)
El rey tenía treinta y cinco hijos.The king had thirty-five sons and daughters.
a, la a(
ah
)A preposition is a word that indicates the relationship between a noun and another word (e.g., He ran through the door.).
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Podía respirar a duras penas.He was hardly able to breathe.
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
¡A fregar los platos!Go do the dishes!
¡A la cama!Off to bed!
a. no direct translation
This refers to an idiomatic word or phrase for which there is no word-for-word translation.
Me encantaría ganar dinero a espuertas.I would love to earn lots of money.
Llovía a cántaros.It was pouring.
A feminine noun is almost always used with feminine articles and adjectives (e.g., la mujer bonita, la luna llena).
An abbreviation is the shortened form of a word or group of words (e.g., "UFO" = "unidentified flying object"; "p." = "page").
a. A
El circuito transporta una corriente de 1 A.The circuit carries a current of 1 A.
La intensidad de la corriente eléctrica se mide en A.The intensity of an electric current is measured in A.
