Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| adolescente | /adolesˈθente/ /adoleˈsente/ |
feminine, masculine |
| muchacho | /muˈt͡ʃat͡ʃo/ | masculine |
The term adolescente is used to refer to a person in the developmental stage of adolescence. It can function as a noun to mean 'an adolescent' or as an adjective to mean 'characteristic of adolescence'. Other ways to refer to this group include joven, which is a general term for a young person or an adolescent and pubescente, a formal term specifically describing the stage of puberty. In legal contexts, the formal word menor is used to refer to an adolescent who is a minor.
Which one should you use?
While adolescente is a neutral term for a person in that developmental stage, muchacho is a more colloquial way to refer to a boy or a young man.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, the colloquial expressions chaval or chavala are commonly used to refer to adolescents.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The word adolescente is the same for both masculine and feminine nouns. Only the article changes (el adolescente or la adolescente). The plural form is adolescentes.
How do you pronounce it?
/adolesˈθente/
Did you know?
- The word muchacho was originally formed by adding the suffix -acho to the word mozo, which historically referred to a young servant or helper.
- In some Latin American countries, muchacho can be used to describe any male regardless of his age, functioning more like the English word 'guy' than a term for a teenager.
- The colloquial Spanish term chaval is frequently used by adults in Spain to address teenagers they have never met, similar to the English 'kid'.
Examples in context
- No hay nada más forzado que un adolescente tratando de parecer natural.There's nothing more forced than an adolescent trying to look natural.This sentence illustrates the use of adolescente as a noun.Tatoeba #2004066 by topofabi, translation #9938217 by Alairis
- Los jóvenes tienen un importante papel en nuestra sociedad.Young people have an important role in our society.
- Mi sobrina es una chica adorable. ¡Ya es toda una adolescente!My niece is an adorable girl. She's already a teenager!
- En España, los chavales suelen pasar mucho tiempo en la calle.In Spain, teenagers often spend a lot of time on the street.
- Esa adolescente es muy inteligente.That adolescent girl is very intelligent.
Example conversation
María and Javier are talking about their children.
- MaríaMi hija ya es una adolescente.My daughter is already a teenager.
- JavierEs verdad, ella ha crecido mucho.It's true, she has grown a lot.
- MaríaAhora es difícil hablar con un adolescente.Now it is difficult to talk to a teenager.
- JavierTienes razón, María. Hay mucha paciencia.You are right, María. It takes a lot of patience.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “adolescent” translations and entries adolescente, muchacho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries adolescente, muchacho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
