Log inSign up

Mis hijas están hablando por chat.

Mis hijas están hablando por chat.
My daughters are talking via chat.
From Lesson 205:Means of communication (por)·Spanish (Spain)

Questions & Answers about Mis hijas están hablando por chat.

Why do we use por instead of en here?
In Spanish, por is used to show the medium, channel, or means of communication. While in English you might say 'on a chat' or 'on the phone', Spanish uses por to mean 'via' or 'through'. This is why we say por chat, por teléfono, or por email.
Is it common to use the English word chat in Spanish?
Yes! Spanish frequently borrows technology terms from English. It is treated as a masculine noun (el chat). There is even a recognized Spanish verb for chatting online: chatear, so you could also say Mis hijas están chateando.
Could I use the simple present and say Mis hijas hablan por chat?
Absolutely. Both are correct, but están hablando (the present continuous) strongly emphasizes that the action is happening right now in this exact moment. Hablan por chat can mean they are doing it now, or just that they communicate via chat in general.
Why is it Mis hijas rather than Mi hijas?
As a quick refresher from earlier lessons, possessive adjectives in Spanish must match the noun they belong to in number. Because hijas is plural, your word for 'my' also has to be plural, so mi becomes mis.

Learn Mis hijas están hablando por chat and more in Spanish

All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.

  • ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
  • ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
  • ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free
Start learning Spanish →