Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| chiquilla | /t͡ʃiˈkiʝa/ | Chile, feminine |
| niña | /ˈniɲa/ | feminine |
| muchacha | /muˈt͡ʃat͡ʃa/ | feminine |
| chica | /ˈt͡ʃika/ | feminine |
| cabra | /ˈkabɾa/ | Chile, feminine |
| chamaca | /t͡ʃaˈmaka/ | Mexico, feminine |
| lola | /ˈlola/ | Argentina, Chile, Spain, feminine |
| nena | /ˈnena/ | Argentina, feminine |
| morrita | /moˈrita/ | feminine |
All the terms listed on this page refer to a young female person.
Which one should you use?
While all these words mean girl, niña specifically refers to a very young child, whereas chica or muchacha can refer to older girls or even young women.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Chica is a common, informal way to refer to a girl or a young woman in many Spanish-speaking regions. In some formal settings, you might use Señorita to mean miss when addressing a young unmarried woman. Chiquilla is used colloquially to refer to a young girl or a girl perceived as small or cute.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Mexico, chamaca is a common way to say girl or kid and morrita is a colloquial term for a girl. In Argentina, nena is a common way to refer to a girl or a young female. In Argentina, Chile and Spain, the term lola is used. In Chile, both cabra and chiquilla are used.
How does it change in a sentence?
To make the word niña plural, change the ending to niñas.
How do you pronounce it?
/tʃiˈkiʝa/
Did you know?
- In Chile, calling a girl cabra is completely normal, even though the word literally means 'goat'.
- The term lola is used in some countries to mean 'girl', but it is actually a shortened version of the name Dolores.
- The word muchacha is used in many regions to mean 'girl', but in certain Caribbean contexts, it can specifically refer to a domestic worker.
Examples in context
- Vio a la niña.He saw the girl.This sentence demonstrates the use of niña.Tatoeba #1766668 by marcelostockle, translation #1766641 by CK
- Veo a la niña.I see the girl.Tatoeba #5023374 by don_ramon, translation #1875780 by Asma
- Aún es una niña.She is still a girl.Tatoeba #1485198 by marcelostockle, translation #885221 by MarijnKp
- La chica está estudiandoThe girl is studying
- Hola, ¿cómo estás, niña?Hi, how are you, girl?
- Eres una chiquilla inteligenteYou are a smart girl.
- ¡Hola, chica! ¿Cómo te llamas?Hello, girl! What's your name?
- 789 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Javier are talking about their young niece.
- SofíaMira qué linda es esa chiquilla.Look how cute that girl is.
- JavierSí, se parece mucho a ti.Yes, she looks a lot like you.
- SofíaLa chiquilla ya sabe hablar mucho.The girl already knows how to talk a lot.
- JavierEs muy inteligente para su edad.She is very intelligent for her age.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “girl” translations and entries chiquilla, niña, muchacha, chica, cabra, chamaca, lola, nena, morrita, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
