Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| niño | /ˈniɲo/ | masculine |
| chaval | /t͡ʃaˈbal/ | masculine, slang |
| varón | /baˈɾon/ | masculine |
| chico | /ˈt͡ʃiko/ | masculine |
The most common and general term for a boy is niño. While chico can translate to boy in certain contexts, it typically means 'guy' in English. If you need to specify biological sex rather than a child's age, use the formal term varón, which means 'male'.
Which one should you use?
niño is the standard, neutral term for a young male child. In contrast, chico is more common when referring to a young man or an adolescent. Use varón when you want to specify the sex as male in formal or biological contexts.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
muchacho is an informal way to refer to a young boy or teenager. chaval is a slang or colloquial term for a boy or young man, and pibe is an informal term for a young boy.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, chico is commonly used to refer to a young man and chaval is a common term for a boy or adolescent. In parts of Latin America, nene is used for a young boy. In Argentina, Uruguay and parts of Colombia, the informal term pibe is used for a young boy.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of niño is niña.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈniɲo/
Did you know?
- In a surprising linguistic twist, the word niño might not come from a formal root, but rather from the imitation of how babies actually babble.
Examples in context
- ¿Es niño o niña?Is it a boy or a girl?This sentence is useful for asking about gender using niño.Tatoeba #1925573 by marcelostockle, translation #276835 by CK
- Esto es un niño.This is a boy.This sentence is useful for identifying someone using niño.Tatoeba #2508079 by cueyayotl, translation #4454067 by katherine425
- Este es el niño.This is the boy.This sentence is useful for identifying a specific person using niño.Tatoeba #3517854 by cueyayotl, translation #56312 by CM
- Buenos días, señor. El niño es muy educado.Good morning, sir. The boy is very polite.
- El chico que trabaja en la tienda te ayudará.The guy who works at the store will assist you.
- Ese nene es muy travieso.That boy is very mischievous.
- Los muchachos juegan fútbol en la plaza.The boys play soccer in the square.
- Mi hermano es un chaval muy inteligente.My brother is a very smart young boy.
- ¡Deja de comportarte como un mocoso!Stop behaving like a brat!
- ¿Dónde está el pibe que estaba jugando?Where's the boy who was playing?
- 688 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and María are watching children play at a park.
- Mateo¿Ves a ese niño?Do you see that boy?
- MaríaSí, el niño es muy rápido.Yes, the boy is very fast.
- MateoParece un niño muy feliz.He looks like a very happy boy.
- MaríaEs cierto, Mateo.That's true, Mateo.
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.
