joven
/ˈxoben/
The Spanish phrase for "young man" is joven.
joven refers to a male person who is no longer a child but not yet an adult.
Which one should you use?
While joven refers to someone in the transition from childhood to adulthood, muchacho often implies a younger person or a boy.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Spain, chaval is an informal alternative for addressing a young man and tío is an informal alternative for addressing a young man.
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of joven is jóvenes. To specify a young woman, you change the article to the feminine form la while keeping the word joven the same.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈxoben/
Did you know?
- The word chaval used in Spain for a joven is thought by some historians to have roots in the word for 'horse' or 'colt'.
- The word joven is derived from the Latin iuvenis, which is the root for the English word 'juvenile'.
- The word joven is a gender-neutral adjective, meaning it does not change its ending to jovena when referring to a young woman.
Examples in context
- Es un joven alegre.He is a cheerful young man.This sentence is useful for describing the temperament of a joven.Tatoeba #1714895 by Shishir, translation #304131 by CC
- Me gusta aquel joven.I like that young man.This sentence is useful for expressing an interest in a joven.Tatoeba #1260758 by marcelostockle, translation #254466 by CK
- Tom es un joven apuesto.Tom is a handsome young man.This sentence is useful for describing the appearance of a joven.Tatoeba #5714098 by arh, translation #2045801 by CK
- ¿En qué puedo ayudarle, joven caballero?How may I assist you, young gentleman?
- Oye, chico, ¿qué tal?Hey, guy, how are you?
- Buenas tardes, joven caballero. ¿En qué puedo ayudarle?Good afternoon, young gentleman. How may I assist you?
- 51 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are observing people at a park.
- Elena¿Viste al joven de camisa azul?Did you see the young man in the blue shirt?
- JavierSí, es un joven muy alto.Yes, he is a very tall young man.
- ElenaParece un joven muy trabajador.He looks like a very hardworking young man.
- JavierTienes razón, Elena.You are right, Elena.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry joven, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries joven, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
