Inklingo

How to Say "youth" in Spanish

English → Spanish

joven

/kho-ben//ˈxoβen/

nounA1general
Use 'joven' when referring to a young person, typically a young man or woman.
A young person, appearing to be a teenager, sitting on a park bench and reading a book.

Examples

El joven de la camisa azul es mi primo.

The young man in the blue shirt is my cousin.

Una joven me preguntó la hora.

A young woman asked me for the time.

Los jóvenes de hoy en día usan mucho el móvil.

Young people nowadays use their phones a lot.

Gender is Shown by 'el' or 'la'

The word 'joven' itself doesn't change gender. You show if you're talking about a male or female by using 'el' or 'un' for a male ('el joven') and 'la' or 'una' for a female ('la joven').

juventud

hoo-ven-TOOD/xuβenˈtuð/

nounB1general
Use 'juventud' to talk about the period of life when one is young, or young people collectively.
A single young boy wearing brightly colored clothes is mid-jump on a sunny green hill, illustrating energy and playfulness.

Examples

Mi abuela siempre dice que la juventud es el mejor tesoro.

My grandmother always says that youth is the best treasure.

Pasé mi juventud en un pueblo pequeño de la costa.

I spent my youth in a small town on the coast.

A pesar de su juventud, ya tiene mucha experiencia laboral.

Despite his young age (youth), he already has a lot of work experience.

Always Feminine

Remember to always use feminine words like 'la' or 'una' before 'juventud', even though it doesn't end in '-a'.

Singular Concept

Even though it refers to a long period of time, 'juventud' is used in the singular form (like 'childhood' in English).

primavera

/pree-mah-VEH-rah//pɾimaˈβeɾa/

nounA1figurative
Use 'primavera' figuratively to refer to the prime or best part of life.
A close-up view of bright colorful tulips blooming in a patch of green grass under a sunny, clear blue sky.

Examples

Mi estación favorita es la primavera porque todo florece.

My favorite season is spring because everything blooms.

En primavera, el clima es templado y agradable.

In spring, the weather is mild and pleasant.

Dicen que el amor es la primavera de la vida.

They say that love is the spring (or youth) of life.

Gender Alert

Remember that 'primavera' is a feminine word, so you must use feminine articles and adjectives with it (e.g., 'la primavera,' 'una hermosa primavera').

Using the Article

Unlike English, Spanish usually requires the definite article ('la') when speaking about seasons in general, such as when stating a preference: 'Me gusta la primavera' (I like spring).

Forgetting the Article

Mistake: “Mi estación favorita es primavera.”

Correction: Mi estación favorita es **la** primavera. (Seasons usually need 'la' or 'el' when used as the subject or object of preference.)

junior

HOO-nee-or/'xu.njɔr/

adjectiveA2specific contexts
Use 'junior' as an adjective to describe a younger category, often in sports or competitions.
A young child wearing a red sports uniform happily holding a small, shiny silver trophy, symbolizing a youth sports achievement.

Examples

Mi hermano juega en el equipo de baloncesto junior.

My brother plays on the junior basketball team.

Ella ganó el campeonato mundial junior de natación.

She won the junior world swimming championship.

Always follows the noun

As an adjective describing the type or category, 'junior' always comes after the noun it describes (e.g., 'el equipo junior').

Gender confusion

Mistake: “Trying to make 'junior' change its ending to match the noun's gender (e.g., *juniora*).”

Correction: This word is invariable (it always stays the same). It is 'la categoría junior' and 'el equipo junior'.

Joven vs. Juventud

Learners often confuse 'joven' and 'juventud'. Remember that 'joven' is a specific young person (like 'a youth'), while 'juventud' refers to the abstract concept of youth or young people as a group.

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