más joven
/mas xoben/from spelling rules
The English phrase 'youngest' is translated into Spanish as más joven. Wiktionary also lists jovencisímo.
Meaning: superlative form of young (adj)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA |
|---|---|
| más joven | /mas xoben/ (from spelling rules) |
| jovencisímo | /xobenθisimo/ (Spain, from spelling rules) /xobensisimo/ (Latin America, from spelling rules) |
The phrase is the superlative form of young (adj). You can also use related nouns like benjamín or shulco to refer specifically to the youngest child in a family or the youngest member of a group. In many contexts, especially regarding age within a family or group, el menor is a common way to say 'the youngest'.
Which one should you use?
más joven is the comparative/superlative 'youngest'. In contrast, jovencísimo is an absolute superlative meaning 'extremely young'.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When using más joven as a superlative, you must include the definite article (el/la) to mean 'the youngest'.
Did you know?
- The word benjamín for 'youngest child' comes from the biblical Benjamin, the youngest son of Jacob.
- The word joven is related to the Latin 'iuvenis', which is the root of the English word 'juvenile'.
- While 'youngest' often refers to age, calling someone el menor can also imply they are 'the smaller one' in a physical or hierarchical sense.
Examples in context
- Es el más joven de la familia.He is the youngest of the family.This sentence shows how to use más joven to identify the youngest person in a family.Tatoeba #13481047 by Seael, translation #8197027 by josivangoncalves
- Tom es el más joven de los cuatro.Tom is the youngest of the four.This sentence demonstrates the use of más joven when comparing one person to a specific group of four.Tatoeba #9593788 by dpcossio, translation #9497106 by shekitten
- Mike es el más joven de la familia.Mike is the youngest in his family.This sentence provides an example of using más joven to describe the youngest person in a family context.Tatoeba #922508 by Shishir, translation #32903 by CN
- Andrés es el más joven de la familia.Andrés is the youngest in the family.
- Sara es la más joven de todas las hermanas.Sara is the youngest of all the sisters.
- Rodrigo es el benjamín de los primos.Rodrigo is the youngest cousin.
- Emma es la menor de los primos.Emma is the youngest cousin.
- David es el chico más joven del grupo.David is the youngest boy in the group.
- 9 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Javier are discussing their siblings at a cafe.
- Elena¿Quién es el más joven de tus hermanos?Who is the youngest of your siblings?
- JavierMi hermano es el más joven.My brother is the youngest.
- ElenaÉl parece ser el más joven de todos.He seems to be the youngest of all.
- JavierSí, él es el más joven de la casa.Yes, he is the youngest in the house.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “youngest” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- 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.
