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joven

kho-ben/ˈxoβen/

“joven” means “young” in Spanish. It has 2 different meanings depending on context:

young

Also: youthful
A toddler happily playing with a bright red ball in a sunny meadow, illustrating the concept of being young.

📝 In Action

Mi hermano es más joven que yo.

A1

My brother is younger than me.

Es una mujer muy joven de espíritu.

A2

She is a very young-at-heart woman.

La población de esta ciudad es bastante joven.

B1

The population of this city is quite young.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Common Collocations

  • parecer joven – to look young
  • mantenerse joven – to stay young
  • demasiado joven para – too young to/for

young person

Also: youth, young woman, teenager
Nounm/fA1
Various Latin American countries
A young person, appearing to be a teenager, sitting on a park bench and reading a book.

📝 In Action

El joven de la camisa azul es mi primo.

A1

The young man in the blue shirt is my cousin.

Una joven me preguntó la hora.

A2

A young woman asked me for the time.

Los jóvenes de hoy en día usan mucho el móvil.

B1

Young people nowadays use their phones a lot.

Word Connections

Synonyms

Antonyms

Translate to Spanish

✏️ Quick Practice

Quick Quiz: joven

Question 1 of 2

Which sentence correctly uses 'joven' to mean 'a young woman'?

📚 More Resources

👥 Word Family▼
juventud(youth) — Noun
rejuvenecer(to rejuvenate) — Verb
🎵 Rhymes▼
📚 Etymology▼

Comes directly from the Latin word 'iuvenis', which meant the exact same thing: 'young' or 'a young person'.

First recorded: Around the 10th century

Cognates (Related words)

Italian: giovaneFrench: jeunePortuguese: jovem

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Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between 'joven' and 'chico'/'chica'?

'Joven' is a bit more general and can sound slightly more formal. It covers a wide age range from teenager to young adult. 'Chico' or 'chica' is more like 'boy' or 'girl' and is very common in casual conversation. You might call a 25-year-old a 'joven', but calling them a 'chico' might sound a little strange depending on the context.

Is 'joven' masculine or feminine?

It's both! The word itself doesn't change. You show the gender with the word that comes before it: 'el joven' (the young man) or 'la joven' (the young woman).