niño
/ˈniɲo/masculine
The English word boy is translated into Spanish as niño. Wiktionary also lists chaval and varón.
Meaning: male child (noun)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| niño | /ˈniɲo/ | masculine |
| chaval | /t͡ʃaˈbal/ | masculine, slang |
| varón | /baˈɾon/ | masculine |
| chico | /ˈt͡ʃiko/ | masculine |
The term niño refers to a male child or kid. The word chico is a more general term that can refer to a boy or a young man, or even a guy in general.
Which one should you use?
While niño refers specifically to a male child, chico is a more general term for a boy or a young man. The word varón is used in biological or formal contexts to specify the sex (male) rather than the age (boy).
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
Chaval is an informal slang term for a boy or young person. Chiquillo is also an informal variation for boy.
How does it change in a sentence?
To change the masculine niño (boy) to the feminine niña (girl), you change the final -o to -a. The plural form of chico is chicos.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈniɲo/
Did you know?
- The slang term chaval originates from the Romani language, specifically from a word meaning 'baby animal'. It is a distant relative of the British slang word 'chav'.
- While niño refers to a child, chico can also mean 'small' when used as an adjective. This makes the word for 'boy' and the word for 'small' identical in many contexts.
- In Spain, calling a grown man chaval is a common way to address a peer informally, though it can sound condescending if used by an older person toward a younger man.
Examples in context
- ¿Es niño o niña?Is it a boy or a girl?This example is useful for asking if someone is a boy or a girl.Tatoeba #1925573 by marcelostockle, translation #276835 by CK
- Esto es un niño.This is a boy.This example is useful for stating that someone is a boy.Tatoeba #2508079 by cueyayotl, translation #4454067 by katherine425
- Este es el niño.This is the boy.This example is useful for identifying a specific boy.Tatoeba #3517854 by cueyayotl, translation #56312 by CM
- El chico es muy educadoThe boy is very polite
- El niño tiene cinco añosThe boy is five years old
- Oye, chaval, ¿quieres jugar al fútbol?Hey, boy, do you want to play soccer?
- ¡Hola muchacho! ¿Cómo estás?Hi, boy! How are you?
- 688 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Mateo are looking at a photo of a relative.
- Lucía¿Quién es ese niño?Who is that boy?
- MateoEs mi primo pequeño.He is my little cousin.
- LucíaEl niño se parece a ti.The boy looks like you.
- MateoSí, somos muy parecidos.Yes, we are very similar.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “boy” translations and entries niño, chaval, varón, chico, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries chaval, chico, niño, varón, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
