Inklingo

How to Say "kids" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “kids” is “niños” — use 'niños' for a general term for 'children' or specifically 'boys' when referring to a group of kids, often younger ones..

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niños

nounA1informal
Use 'niños' for a general term for 'children' or specifically 'boys' when referring to a group of kids, often younger ones.

Examples

Los niños están jugando en el parque.

The children are playing in the park.

muchachos

/moo-CHAH-chohs//muˈtʃa.tʃos/

nounA1informal
Use 'muchachos' to refer to a group of children, often implying boys, similar to 'kids' or 'lads'.
A simple illustration showing three young boys running and laughing in a sunny park.

Examples

Los muchachos están jugando al fútbol en el parque.

The boys are playing soccer in the park.

¡Hola, muchachos! ¿Cómo están?

Hey, guys! How are you?

Un grupo de muchachos y muchachas fue al cine.

A group of boys and girls went to the movies.

The 'Inclusive' Masculine Form

In Spanish, if a group includes even one boy among many girls, you use the masculine plural 'muchachos' to refer to everyone. It's the default for mixed groups.

Forgetting the Mixed-Group Rule

Mistake: “Seeing a group of boys and girls and thinking you must always say 'muchachos y muchachas'.”

Correction: It's more common and natural to just say 'muchachos' to include everyone. Saying both is usually for emphasis or clarification, not a requirement.

jóvenes

nounA1informal
Use 'jóvenes' when referring to teenagers or young adults, essentially older kids.

Examples

Los jóvenes de mi barrio estudian mucho.

The young people in my neighborhood study a lot.

pequeños

nounA2informal
Use 'pequeños' as an affectionate or informal way to refer to very young children, meaning 'little ones'.

Examples

Los pequeños tienen permiso para quedarse despiertos hasta las nueve.

The little ones have permission to stay awake until nine.

criaturas

kree-ah-TOO-ras/kriaˈtuɾas/

nounA2informal
Use 'criaturas' informally to refer to children, emphasizing their young and sometimes mischievous nature, similar to 'little creatures'.
A simple storybook illustration of a young boy and a young girl sitting on green grass, smiling happily.

Examples

Las criaturas deben estar en cama antes de las nueve.

The children must be in bed before nine.

¡Qué ruido hacen estas criaturas cuando juegan!

What a noise these little ones make when they play!

Always Plural Feminine

Even if the group of children includes boys, 'criaturas' is always a feminine noun, so you use 'las criaturas'.

Confusing Gender

Mistake: “Los criaturas están aquí.”

Correction: Las criaturas están aquí. (Because 'criatura' is always feminine, even when referring to boys.)

General vs. Age-Specific Terms

The most common mistake is using age-specific terms like 'jóvenes' (teenagers) or 'pequeños' (little ones) when a general term like 'niños' would be more appropriate. Stick to 'niños' or 'muchachos' for general groups of children unless you intend to specify their age.

Related Translations

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