jóvenes
/HOH-veh-ness/
young people
As a noun, jóvenes refers to a general group of young people.
jóvenes(noun)
young people
?A general group reference
,youths
?Formal or news context
kids
?Informal (referring to teenagers/young adults)
📝 In Action
Los jóvenes de mi barrio estudian mucho.
A1The young people in my neighborhood study a lot.
¿Dónde están las jóvenes que vinieron a la fiesta?
A2Where are the young women who came to the party?
El futuro pertenece a los jóvenes.
B1The future belongs to the youth.
💡 Grammar Points
Universal Plural
Jóvenes is used for both a group of young men, a group of young women, or a mixed group. Spanish defaults to this form for mixed-gender groups.
Using the Article
When using 'jóvenes' as a noun to refer to a general group, you must use the articles 'los' or 'las': 'Los jóvenes' (The young people).
❌ Common Pitfalls
Missing the 'e'
Mistake: "Muchos jóvenes son inteligentes."
Correction: Muchos jóvenes son inteligentes. (The singular form 'joven' needs the 'es' ending to become plural.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Focus on the Group
This noun is perfect when talking about the collective experiences, concerns, or characteristics of people in their teenage or young adult years.
When used as an adjective, jóvenes describes two or more people or things that are young.
📝 In Action
Mis padres son todavía bastante jóvenes.
A1My parents are still quite young.
Queremos unas plantas jóvenes para el jardín.
A2We want some young plants for the garden.
Estos escritores son muy jóvenes y talentosos.
B1These writers are very young and talented.
💡 Grammar Points
Descriptive Placement
Like most Spanish descriptive words, 'jóvenes' usually comes immediately after the thing it is describing: 'dos chicos jóvenes' (two young boys).
Agreement is Key
This word must match the number of the noun it describes. If you talk about one person, use 'joven.' If you talk about two or more people, use 'jóvenes'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Incorrect Gender Agreement
Mistake: "Dos chicas jóvenes."
Correction: Dos chicas jóvenes. (Since 'joven' works for both masculine and feminine, you do not change it to 'jóvenas'.)
⭐ Usage Tips
Stay Invariable
The spelling 'jóvenes' is used for both masculine plural nouns (los hombres jóvenes) and feminine plural nouns (las mujeres jóvenes). It doesn't change based on gender.
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: jóvenes
Question 1 of 2
Which sentence correctly uses 'jóvenes' as an adjective?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 'joven' a regular adjective that changes its ending for masculine and feminine?
No. Unlike words like 'alto/alta,' the word 'joven' is the same for both masculine and feminine nouns in the singular. 'Jóvenes' is the same for both masculine and feminine plural nouns.
How do I know if 'jóvenes' is being used as a noun or an adjective?
Look at the surrounding words. If it has 'los' or 'las' right before it (e.g., 'Los jóvenes comen'), it's acting as a noun (the young people). If it follows another noun (e.g., 'personas jóvenes'), it's acting as an adjective (young people).