Inklingo

How to Say "young" in Spanish

The most common Spanish word for “young” is “joven” — use 'joven' to generally describe someone or something as not old, applicable to both genders and often used when comparing ages..

joven🔊A1

Use 'joven' to generally describe someone or something as not old, applicable to both genders and often used when comparing ages.

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pequeñoA2

Use 'pequeño' when referring to a younger sibling or a child in terms of age, often implying a size difference as well.

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juvenil🔊A2

Use 'juvenil' to describe something related to or characteristic of young people or teenagers, like fashion or a spirit.

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tierno🔊A1

Use 'tierno' to describe something young in a developmental stage, like a plant, or to describe tender meat, implying softness and youth.

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jovencita🔊B1

Use 'jovencita' specifically to describe a young female, often implying a delicate or fresh appearance.

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verde🔊B1

Use 'verde' metaphorically to describe someone who is inexperienced or new to a situation, like an unripe fruit.

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English → Spanish

joven

/kho-ben//ˈxoβen/

adjectiveA1general
Use 'joven' to generally describe someone or something as not old, applicable to both genders and often used when comparing ages.
A toddler happily playing with a bright red ball in a sunny meadow, illustrating the concept of being young.

Examples

Mi hermano es más joven que yo.

My brother is younger than me.

Es una mujer muy joven de espíritu.

She is a very young-at-heart woman.

La población de esta ciudad es bastante joven.

The population of this city is quite young.

One Form for Masculine & Feminine

'Joven' is special because it looks the same whether you're talking about a guy ('un hombre joven') or a girl ('una mujer joven'). You just change the word before it.

Making it Plural

To talk about more than one young thing, you add '-es' to the end, making it 'jóvenes'. For example, 'los chicos jóvenes' (the young boys).

Forgetting the Plural '-es'

Mistake: “Los estudiante joven son inteligentes.”

Correction: Los estudiantes jóvenes son inteligentes. Because 'estudiantes' is plural, 'joven' needs to become plural too by adding '-es'.

pequeño

adjectiveA2general
Use 'pequeño' when referring to a younger sibling or a child in terms of age, often implying a size difference as well.

Examples

Mi hermano pequeño se llama Carlos.

My younger brother is named Carlos.

juvenil

/hoo-beh-NEEL//xuβeˈnil/

adjectiveA2general
Use 'juvenil' to describe something related to or characteristic of young people or teenagers, like fashion or a spirit.
A smiling young person with bright eyes and a vibrant outfit jumping joyfully in a park.

Examples

Mi abuelo tiene un espíritu muy juvenil.

My grandfather has a very youthful spirit.

Ella prefiere la moda juvenil.

She prefers youthful/junior fashion.

One Form for All

This word doesn't change to match boys or girls! Whether the person you're describing is male or female, 'juvenil' stays exactly the same.

Avoid 'Juvenila'

Mistake: “una chica juvenila”

Correction: una chica juvenil

tierno

tee-EHR-noh/ˈtjeɾno/

adjectiveA1general
Use 'tierno' to describe something young in a developmental stage, like a plant, or to describe tender meat, implying softness and youth.
A close-up view of a fork easily slicing through a thick piece of roasted steak resting on a white plate, demonstrating the meat's tender texture.

Examples

El chef cocinó el bistec hasta que quedó muy tierno.

The chef cooked the steak until it was very tender.

Estas hojas de lechuga son muy tiernas; cómelas pronto.

These lettuce leaves are very soft/delicate; eat them soon.

Agreement is Key

Since 'tierno' is an adjective, you must change the ending to match the noun it describes: 'el pollo tierno' (masculine singular), 'la fruta tierna' (feminine singular), 'los tallos tiernos' (masculine plural).

jovencita

/ho-ven-SEE-ta//xoβenˈsi.ta/

adjectiveB1general
Use 'jovencita' specifically to describe a young female, often implying a delicate or fresh appearance.
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration of a small, cheerful girl with pigtails holding a large red balloon while standing in a green field.

Examples

Ella tiene una cara jovencita y alegre.

She has a youthful and cheerful face.

Esta es mi prima jovencita.

This is my young cousin (female).

Agreement is Key

Like all Spanish adjectives, 'jovencita' must match the noun it describes in number and gender. Since it ends in '-a' it only describes feminine nouns.

verde

/BEHR-deh//ˈbeɾðe/

adjectiveB1informal
Use 'verde' metaphorically to describe someone who is inexperienced or new to a situation, like an unripe fruit.
A small, firm, light green banana still attached to the plant, indicating it is unripe.

Examples

No puedes comer esas fresas; todavía están muy verdes.

You can't eat those strawberries; they are still very unripe.

Es un empleado nuevo y todavía está un poco verde en el puesto.

He is a new employee and is still a bit green/inexperienced in the position.

Joven vs. Pequeño for Age

Learners often confuse 'joven' and 'pequeño' when referring to age. Remember that 'joven' is the general term for 'young' or 'not old', while 'pequeño' is typically used for younger siblings or children, often implying a size difference.

Related Translations

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