Young in Different Languages
Discover 'Young' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
The word 'young' holds a special significance in every culture and language, denoting growth, vitality, and the promise of a vibrant future. Its cultural importance is evident in the myriad ways it is expressed across the world, reflecting the unique values and perspectives of each linguistic community. For instance, in Spanish, 'young' is 'joven', while in French, it is 'jeune'. In Mandarin Chinese, the word for young is '年轻' (nián qīng), and in Japanese, it is '若い' (wakai).
Understanding the translation of 'young' in different languages can open up a world of cultural insights and connections. For instance, did you know that in some African languages, such as Yoruba, 'young' is expressed as 'iyawo', which also means 'bride'? Or that in Hawaiian, 'young' is 'nui' or 'holo', which can also mean 'many' or 'complete'?
Exploring the many translations of 'young' is not just a linguistic exercise, but a journey through the rich tapestry of human culture and history. Join us as we delve into the fascinating world of language and culture, and discover the many ways 'young' is expressed around the globe.
Young
Young in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | jonk | ||
| Afrikaans 'jonk' has a cognate in Scots, 'younker', possibly stemming from Middle Dutch 'jonkheer' | |||
| Amharic | ወጣት | ||
| ወጣት is the root for | |||
| Hausa | matasa | ||
| The Hausa word 'matasa' has a dual meaning, referring to youthfulness as well as the physical state of being soft or pliable. | |||
| Igbo | na-eto eto | ||
| The word "na-eto eto" is derived from the verb "to grow" and can also refer to youthfulness or immaturity. | |||
| Malagasy | tanora | ||
| The word "tANORA" in Malagasy can also mean "to be fresh" or "to be new". | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wachinyamata | ||
| The word "wachinyamata" is also used to refer to a group of young people, especially those who are involved in a particular activity or cause. | |||
| Shona | vadiki | ||
| Somali | dhalinyaro ah | ||
| The Somali word for 'young', 'dhalinyaro ah', comes from the Arabic word 'ad-dhal', meaning 'sprout' or 'offspring' | |||
| Sesotho | monyane | ||
| The word "monyane" in Sesotho can also refer to a young animal or a young person. | |||
| Swahili | vijana | ||
| The word 'vijana' can also refer to 'young people' or 'youth' in Swahili. | |||
| Xhosa | umncinci | ||
| "Umncinci" can also refer to an in-law, specifically the father or mother of a spouse. | |||
| Yoruba | odo | ||
| The word "odo" can also refer to a river, stream, or brook in Yoruba. | |||
| Zulu | omncane | ||
| The word "omncane" in Zulu means "young one", and is related to the word "umntwana", which means "child". | |||
| Bambara | kamalen | ||
| Ewe | nye ɖevi | ||
| Kinyarwanda | muto | ||
| Lingala | elenge | ||
| Luganda | obuto | ||
| Sepedi | nnyane | ||
| Twi (Akan) | sua | ||
Young in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شاب | ||
| The Arabic word "شاب" can also refer to a "youth" or a "hero" in addition to its literal meaning of "young." | |||
| Hebrew | צָעִיר | ||
| The Hebrew word "צָעִיר" ("young") is also used to denote a "servant" or "disciple" and is related to the Akkadian word "ṣēru" which means "boy" or "servant". | |||
| Pashto | ځوان | ||
| The word "ځوان" can also refer to a young animal, especially a foal or a calf. | |||
| Arabic | شاب | ||
| The Arabic word "شاب" can also refer to a "youth" or a "hero" in addition to its literal meaning of "young." | |||
Young in Western European Languages
| Albanian | i ri | ||
| "I ri" is often used endearingly to address male children or young men, and can also have the more general meaning of "kid" or "youngster" in a more neutral or slangy context. | |||
| Basque | gaztea | ||
| The word | |||
| Catalan | jove | ||
| The word "jove" in Catalan also derives from the Latin word for "Jupiter," the king of the gods, and can therefore also be interpreted as "divine," "regal," or "supreme." | |||
| Croatian | mladi | ||
| The word "mladi" is derived from the Slavic word "mladŭ", which means "tender" or "soft", and is related to the English word "mild". | |||
| Danish | ung | ||
| The word "ung" in Danish can also mean "inexperienced" or "immature". | |||
| Dutch | jong | ||
| The word "jong" in Dutch also has the alternate meaning of "recently", e.g. "jong getrouwd" means "recently married". | |||
| English | young | ||
| The Middle English word 'Yinge' meant 'young', but also 'fresh' or 'new', and could be used to refer to plants or animals. | |||
| French | jeune | ||
| Jeune can also mean 'fasting' in French, derived from the Latin word 'jejunus', meaning 'empty'. | |||
| Frisian | jong | ||
| In medieval Low German dialects, | |||
| Galician | mozo | ||
| In Galician, the word 'mozo' can mean an assistant or servant. | |||
| German | jung | ||
| In southern German dialects, | |||
| Icelandic | ungur | ||
| Icelandic "ungur" is cognate with German "jung" and "junge", meaning "young man". | |||
| Irish | óg | ||
| From Old Irish óc 'youth, boy' and Proto-Celtic *iuvencos 'young' | |||
| Italian | giovane | ||
| "Giovane" derives from the Latin iuvenis, which originally meant "a member of the upper social classes". | |||
| Luxembourgish | jonk | ||
| The word "jonk" is derived from the Middle High German word "jun(g)", meaning "young" or "youthful". | |||
| Maltese | żagħżugħ | ||
| The Maltese word "żagħżugħ" is derived from the Arabic word "shabab" meaning "youth" or "young people". | |||
| Norwegian | ung | ||
| The word "ung" in Norwegian can also mean "naive" or "inexperienced". | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | jovem | ||
| The word "jovem" (young) in Portuguese originally meant "novice" or "apprentice" | |||
| Scots Gaelic | òg | ||
| Derived from the Old Irish word "óg", it can also mean "fresh", "new", or "unripe". | |||
| Spanish | joven | ||
| "Joven" is a Spanish word that comes from the Latin "iuvenis", meaning "young person, youth, offspring". | |||
| Swedish | ung | ||
| The Swedish word "ung" is a cognate of the English word "young", but it can also mean "new" or "fresh". | |||
| Welsh | ifanc | ||
| Ifanc can also mean "strong" or "brave" as it derives from the Welsh root word “iang" (vigour). | |||
Young in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | малады | ||
| Belarusian word "малады" (''malady'') is often used to express admiration or approval, despite its literal meaning of "young". | |||
| Bosnian | mladi | ||
| The word 'mladi' originally meant 'newlyweds' | |||
| Bulgarian | млад | ||
| The word "млад" (young) in Bulgarian also has the archaic meaning of "last" or "youngest". | |||
| Czech | mladá | ||
| The word "mladá" can also refer to a young woman or a young tree. | |||
| Estonian | noor | ||
| The word "noor" also refers to a young animal and used to mean "young warrior" in Old Estonian. | |||
| Finnish | nuori | ||
| "Nuori" derives from Proto-Finno-Ugric word nuor, meaning "quick" or "fast". | |||
| Hungarian | fiatal | ||
| The term 'fiatal' is also used in a figurative sense to refer to something recent, inexperienced or undeveloped. | |||
| Latvian | jauns | ||
| The Latvian word “jauns” also means “inexperienced” or “fresh”. | |||
| Lithuanian | jaunas | ||
| The word "jaunas" is related to the Proto-Indo-European root *yew- "young, vital" but could also mean "fresh, new", and "inexperienced" in Lithuanian. | |||
| Macedonian | млад | ||
| Млад (mlad) can also mean "small" or "recently established" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | młody | ||
| The word "młody" is derived from the Proto-Slavic "*moldъ", meaning "young, tender". It also has a secondary meaning of "inexperienced, immature". | |||
| Romanian | tineri | ||
| The Romanian word "tineri" is derived from the Latin word "tenere," meaning "to hold" or "to keep." | |||
| Russian | молодой | ||
| The word "молодой" not only means "young" but also "new" or "fresh" (in the sense of "recent"). | |||
| Serbian | млади | ||
| In Bulgarian, the word "млади" also means "newly married couple", and shares the same origin with the Serbian word "младенци" "newlyweds." | |||
| Slovak | mladý | ||
| The word "mladý" is also used in the phrase "mladé víno" (young wine), which refers to wine that is made from recently harvested grapes. | |||
| Slovenian | mlad | ||
| The word "mlad" in Slovenian can also mean "green" or "unripe". | |||
| Ukrainian | молодий | ||
| The word "молодий" in Ukrainian can trace its roots back to the Proto-Slavic word "*moldъ", also meaning "young". | |||
Young in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | যুবক | ||
| The word যুবক originates from Sanskrit roots युव (yuva) and यु (yu), signifying youth and freshness. | |||
| Gujarati | યુવાન | ||
| "યુવાન" also means "youth" or "young person" in Gujarati. | |||
| Hindi | युवा | ||
| In Sanskrit, the word 'युवा' is derived from the root 'यु' and means 'to join' or 'to connect'. | |||
| Kannada | ಯುವ | ||
| The word "ಯುವ" (yuva) in Kannada also carries the connotation of "fresh" or "new", particularly in the context of plants or vegetation. | |||
| Malayalam | ചെറുപ്പക്കാരൻ | ||
| Marathi | तरुण | ||
| "तरुण" also means "tree" in Marathi, reflecting the close connection between youth and growth in the Marathi imagination. | |||
| Nepali | जवान | ||
| The word "जवान" can also refer to a military recruit or soldier, a term derived from the Persian word "javan" meaning "youthful". | |||
| Punjabi | ਜਵਾਨ | ||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තරුණ | ||
| The term තරුණ is also used in Sinhala literature to refer to a student or youth who studies sacred literature or a particular religious discipline. | |||
| Tamil | இளம் | ||
| The word 'இளம்' ('young') in Tamil is also used to refer to the first stage of a plant's growth. | |||
| Telugu | యువ | ||
| Urdu | نوجوان | ||
| The word ''نوجوان'' also means ''youth'' and ''immature'' in Urdu. | |||
Young in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 年轻 | ||
| In Chinese, the character "年轻" (young) also means "to experience". | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 年輕 | ||
| In Classical Chinese, "年輕" referred specifically to the youth of a sovereign, but came to refer to all youth later on. | |||
| Japanese | 若い | ||
| 若い can also mean "inexperienced" or "immature" in Japanese. | |||
| Korean | 젊은 | ||
| The word 젊은 can also mean 'inexperienced, immature, or naive' | |||
| Mongolian | залуу | ||
| The term `залуу` in Mongolian, often referring to young people, also denotes fresh grass sprouting in spring. | |||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | ငယ်ရွယ် | ||
Young in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | muda | ||
| The word "muda" also refers to "young people" or "youths" in Indonesian and carries connotations of "youthfulness" and "inexperience". | |||
| Javanese | enom | ||
| The word "enom" in Javanese can also refer to "immature" or "inexperienced", implying a lack of maturity or knowledge. | |||
| Khmer | ក្មេង | ||
| The word "ក្មេង" can also mean "child" or "son" in Khmer. | |||
| Lao | ຫນຸ່ມ | ||
| Malay | muda | ||
| "Muda" can also mean "fresh" or "new" in Malay, and it is often used to describe something that is youthful or has not been used before. | |||
| Thai | หนุ่ม | ||
| Vietnamese | trẻ | ||
| The word | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bata pa | ||
Young in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | cavan | ||
| The word "cavan" also means "foal" in Azerbaijani, highlighting its connection to youth and vitality. | |||
| Kazakh | жас | ||
| "Жас" is also a Kazakh word for "age", which is likely related to its etymology | |||
| Kyrgyz | жаш | ||
| The Kyrgyz word "жаш" (young) can also refer to "a group of people" or "the youth" in a societal context. | |||
| Tajik | ҷавон | ||
| The word "ҷавон" in Tajik is commonly translated as "young", but literally means "newly arrived" and also refers to the beginning of the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan. | |||
| Turkmen | ýaş | ||
| Uzbek | yosh | ||
| In Uzbek, "yosh" also means "age" or "old age". | |||
| Uyghur | ياش | ||
Young in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻōpio | ||
| Maori | taiohi | ||
| Taiohi, meaning 'young,' also refers to the state of being uninitiated, or at the beginning of a new phase in life. | |||
| Samoan | talavou | ||
| The Samoan word | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | bata pa | ||
| The Tagalog word "bata pa" can also refer to someone who is inexperienced or immature. | |||
Young in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wayna | ||
| Guarani | tekopyahu | ||
Young in International Languages
| Esperanto | juna | ||
| Latin | iuvenis | ||
| In post-classical Latin, "iuvenis" also meant "young person of high social standing." | |||
Young in Others Languages
| Greek | νέος | ||
| "Νέος" can also mean "fresh," "recent," "new," or "novel." | |||
| Hmong | hluas | ||
| In the Hmong language, the word "hluas" is used not only to mean "young" but also to describe the youngest child in a family or the younger of two siblings. | |||
| Kurdish | ciwan | ||
| The word “ciwan” also refers to a young man with little or no facial hair. | |||
| Turkish | genç | ||
| The word "genç" can also mean "new" or "fresh", and is related to the word "yeniden" (again). | |||
| Xhosa | umncinci | ||
| "Umncinci" can also refer to an in-law, specifically the father or mother of a spouse. | |||
| Yiddish | יונג | ||
| The Yiddish word "יונג" ("young") derives from the German "jung," which can also mean "youth" or "student." | |||
| Zulu | omncane | ||
| The word "omncane" in Zulu means "young one", and is related to the word "umntwana", which means "child". | |||
| Assamese | যুৱ | ||
| Aymara | wayna | ||
| Bhojpuri | जवान | ||
| Dhivehi | ޅަ | ||
| Dogri | जुआन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | bata pa | ||
| Guarani | tekopyahu | ||
| Ilocano | ubing | ||
| Krio | yɔŋ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گەنج | ||
| Maithili | जवान | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯍꯥ ꯑꯣꯏꯕ | ||
| Mizo | naupang | ||
| Oromo | dargaggeessa | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଯୁବକ | ||
| Quechua | wayna | ||
| Sanskrit | युवा | ||
| Tatar | яшь | ||
| Tigrinya | ንእሽተይ | ||
| Tsonga | ntsongo | ||