How to Say ‘Oh, sweetie, it's so good to see you!’ in Mexican Spanish
¡Ay, mijo, qué gusto verte!
eye MEE-hoh keh GOOS-toh BEHR-teh
[eye MEE-hoh keh GOOS-toh BEHR-teh]
🇲🇽 In Mexico: Older relatives call grandchildren, nieces, even adult kids mijo or mija warmly, whether or not they're literally their child.
Phrase Breakdown
¡Ay, mijo,
eye MEE-hoh
Oh, my boy,
'Ay' is an emotional 'oh!' that sounds like English 'eye'. 'Mijo' is a contraction of 'mi hijo' (my son). Grandparents and parents use it affectionately: 'MEE-ho'.
¡Ay, mijo, ya creciste mucho!
Oh, my boy, you've grown so much!
Words in this phrase
Ay
[eye]
oh
An exclamation showing surprise, emotion, or sweet embarrassment.
Respondió con "Ay" al escuchar el cumplido.
They responded with "Oh" when they heard the compliment.
mijo
[MEE-hoh]
my son / sweetie
Contraction of 'mi hijo', used affectionately for boys and young men in Mexico.
Ven a comer, mijo.
Come eat, sweetie.
qué gusto verte!
keh GOOS-toh BEHR-teh
so good to see you!
This is an expression of happiness at seeing someone. 'Qué' sounds like 'keh', and the u is silent.
Qué gusto verte otra vez.
So good to see you again.
Words in this phrase
qué
[keh]
how / what
“Qué” adds exclamation and emphasis, like “how” or “what” in English.
¡Qué lindo está el regalo!
How lovely the gift is!
gusto
[GOOS-toh]
pleasure
In mucho gusto, gusto means pleasure and helps form the phrase nice to meet you.
Decir mucho gusto en una conversación profesional suena amable.
Saying nice to meet you in a professional conversation sounds polite.
verte
[BEHR-teh]
to see you
An infinitive form with an attached pronoun meaning 'to see you.'
Espero verte pronto, porque "Verte" otra vez sería excelente para seguir en contacto.
I hope to see you soon, because "to see you" again would be excellent for staying in touch.
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