What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of más (more) and joven (young), literally meaning "more young".
Which one should you use?
While más joven is the literal comparative of the adjective "young", the word menor is often used to mean "younger" specifically when referring to age or when talking about a younger sibling.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay, the informal terms pibe and piba are used for "young boy" and "young girl". In Mexico, chavo or chava is sometimes used to mean "young" or "youngster". In Spain, the word menor is used to convey the concept of being younger than someone else.
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective joven is invariant in gender, so más joven can refer to either a male or a female. To use "younger" with a plural subject, you must add -es to the adjective to form más jóvenes.
Did you know?
- In some Latin American countries, calling someone joven can be a polite way for an older person to address a stranger, similar to 'young man' or 'young lady' in English.
- The word joven shares a distant ancestor with the English word 'youth', both tracing back to the Proto-Indo-European root '*h₂óyu'.
- In many Spanish-speaking legal contexts, the word menor is used to mean 'younger' in the sense of being a 'minor' under the legal age.
Examples in context
- Te ves más joven.You look younger.This sentence shows how to use más joven to say someone looks younger.Tatoeba #4982707 by Ruthdq, translation #1626137 by CK
- Yo soy más joven.I'm younger than you.This sentence uses más joven to express being younger than another person.Tatoeba #6760755 by swyter, translation #3907722 by CK
- Ojalá fuera más joven.If only I was younger.This sentence uses más joven to express a wish about being younger.Tatoeba #629004 by Shishir, translation #629000 by blay_paul
- El señor Martínez es más joven que el señor Rodríguez.Mr. Martínez is younger than Mr. Rodríguez.
- Ella es más joven que su hermano.She is younger than her brother.
- Soy menor que mi hermano.I am younger than my brother.
- 87 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two friends are looking at old photographs.
- MaríaEres más joven en esta foto.You are younger in this photo.
- JavierSí, parece que fue hace mucho tiempo.Yes, it seems like it was a long time ago.
- MaríaTu hermano es más joven que tú.Your brother is younger than you.
- JavierEs cierto, él tiene diez años menos.That's true, he is ten years younger.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries joven, más, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
