muchacho
/muˈt͡ʃat͡ʃo/
muchacho is the Spanish word for boy or young man.
muchacho is a term used to refer to a boy or a young man.
Which one should you use?
The term Chico is an informal way to say boy or guy.
How does it change in a sentence?
The feminine form of muchacho is muchacha. To refer to a group of boys, a group of young men or a mixed-gender group of boys and girls, use the plural form muchachos.
How do you pronounce it?
/muˈtʃatʃo/
Did you know?
- While it means 'boy', a coach might shout ¡Vamos, muchachos! to a team of professional adult athletes during a match.
- The word muchacho was formed by adding the suffix -acho to the word mozo, which means 'young servant' or 'lad'.
- In some Caribbean countries, muchacho can be used as a mild rebuke or a way to tell someone they are acting childishly, regardless of their actual age.
Examples in context
- Buenas tardes, muchachito. ¿Cómo estuvo su día en la escuela?Good afternoon, young man. How was your day at school?
- Oye, chico, ¿qué vas a hacer este fin de semana?Hey, guy, what are you going to do this weekend?
- Ese muchacho es muy amable.That boy is very kind.
- El muchacho corre en el parque.The boy runs in the park.
- ¿Viste al muchacho de la camisa azul?Did you see the boy in the blue shirt?
Example conversation
Lucía and Javier are watching children play at a park.
- Javier¿Ves a ese muchacho con el perro?Do you see that boy with the dog?
- LucíaSí, es un muchacho muy divertido.Yes, he is a very funny boy.
- JavierEl muchacho parece muy feliz hoy.The boy seems very happy today.
- LucíaEs cierto, Javier.That's true, Javier.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry muchacho, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries muchacho, CC BY-SA 4.0.
