niños
/niɲos/from spelling rules
The English word 'children' is translated into Spanish as niños.
niños is used to refer to young human beings who are not yet adults. It is the most general and widely used term for 'children' in Spanish.
Which one should you use?
While niños can mean 'children', it is also the standard word for 'boys' in many contexts. Other options include the informal chicos to refer to boys and the formal infantes to refer to young children.
How does it change in a sentence?
The masculine plural form niños is used to refer to a group of male children or a mixed-gender group of children. The masculine singular form niño refers to a single male child. The feminine plural form niñas refers specifically to a group of female children.
How do you pronounce it?
/niɲos/
Did you know?
- While niños is the standard word, some regions use the word guagua to mean 'baby' or 'small child', a term derived from Quechua rather than Latin.
- While niños is the standard term, a person might use the word criatura to refer to a child, which literally translates to 'creature'. It is a common, affectionate way to describe a small child.
- In Spanish, the word niño can be used to describe an adult in a romantic context, similar to the English word 'baby' when used as a term of endearment.
Examples in context
- Ya no somos niños.We're no longer children.This sentence uses niños to express that someone is no longer a child.Tatoeba #1718392 by marcelostockle, translation #4508796 by XenoKat
- Los niños me temen.Children are afraid of me.This sentence uses niños to show that children are afraid of someone.Tatoeba #6815945 by arh, translation #6815660 by CK
- Él tiene diez niños.He has ten children.This sentence uses niños to state the number of children a person has.Tatoeba #1344952 by laserchanto, translation #1343919 by Eldad
- Me encanta trabajar con niños.I love working with children.
- Los niños están jugando en el parque.The children are playing in the park.
- Los chicos están divirtiéndose en la fiesta.The kids are having fun at the party.
- La educación de los infantes debe ser prioritaria.The education of young children should be a priority.
- El desarrollo psicomotor de los infantes es fundamental durante los primeros años.Psycomotor development is essential for infants during their early years.
- 794 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are talking about their relatives at a family party.
- Elena¿Dónde están los niños?Where are the children?
- MateoEstán jugando en el jardín.They are playing in the garden.
- ElenaQué alegría ver a tantos niños.What a joy to see so many children.
- MateoSí, Elena, están muy felices.Yes, Elena, they are very happy.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
