menor que
/menoɾ ke/from spelling rules
The English phrase "younger than" is translated into Spanish as menor que.
The phrase menor que is used to describe someone who has lived for less time than another person. Note that while it specifically describes age, it can also be used to mean "smaller than" or "lesser than" when comparing things like size or importance.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of menor, meaning "lesser" or "smaller" and que, meaning "than".
How does it change in a sentence?
The word menor is an adjective that does not change for gender. It remains menor whether you are referring to a male or a female.
How do you pronounce it?
/menoɾ ke/
Did you know?
- The word que in menor que is an etymological cousin of the English word 'who'. Both words trace their ancestry back to the same Proto-Indo-European roots used to ask questions.
- In many Spanish-speaking cultures, if you want to say you are 'younger than' a certain age, you might use the verb tener (to have) instead of ser (to be). For example, you would say you 'have' fewer years.
- The word menor is also used as a noun to describe a legal minor, referring to anyone under the age of consent or majority.
Examples in context
- Yo soy menor que él.I'm younger than he is.This sentence uses menor que to compare the speaker to a male.Tatoeba #2112139 by marcelostockle, translation #260814 by CK
- Soy dos años menor que él.I'm two years younger than him.This sentence uses menor que to specify a two-year age difference.Tatoeba #5512014 by baudelaire, translation #5514015 by Mar1L
- Ella es menor que su hija.She's younger than his daughter.This sentence uses menor que to compare a female to her daughter.Tatoeba #8316366 by MilkFrosties, translation #2343202 by Hybrid
- Juan es más joven que María.Juan is younger than María.
- Pedro es menor que Luisa.Pedro is younger than Luisa.
- La niña es de menor edad que el niño.The girl is younger than the boy.
- Mi hermana es más chica que yo.My sister is younger than me.
- María es menor que Juan y él tiene muchos amigos.María is younger than Juan, and he has many friends.
- 12 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and María are talking about their cousins at a family gathering.
- Javier¿Tu primo es menor que tú?Is your cousin younger than you?
- MaríaSí, él es menor que yo.Yes, he is younger than me.
- JavierÉl parece ser muy divertido.He seems to be very fun.
- MaríaSí, es un chico muy alegre.Yes, he is a very cheerful boy.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries menor, que, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
