Youth in Different Languages
Discover 'Youth' in 134 Languages: Dive into Translations, Hear Pronunciations, and Uncover Cultural Insights.
Updated on March 6, 2024
Youth is a powerful and significant word that represents the stage of life between childhood and adulthood. It's a time of growth, exploration, and self-discovery, and is often associated with energy, vitality, and optimism. The concept of youth holds great cultural importance across the globe, often symbolizing hope for the future and the potential for change.
Moreover, understanding the translation of 'youth' in different languages can provide valuable insights into how other cultures view and value this stage of life. For instance, in Spanish, 'youth' is translated as 'juventud,' while in French, it's 'jeunesse.' In Mandarin Chinese, the word for 'youth' is '青春,' which literally means 'green' or 'naive' and 'spring' or 'vitality.' In German, 'youth' is translated as 'Jugend,' which also means 'young people' or 'youth movement.'
So, whether you're a language enthusiast, a cultural explorer, or simply curious about the world around you, exploring the translations of 'youth' in different languages can be a fascinating and enlightening journey. Keep reading to discover more fascinating translations and insights!
Youth
Youth in Sub-Saharan African Languages
| Afrikaans | jeug | ||
| The word "jeug" in Afrikaans can also refer to a group of young people, such as a youth club or organization. | |||
| Amharic | ወጣትነት | ||
| "ወጣትነት" refers to youthfulness, both biological and symbolic, and carries the additional meanings of innocence, inexperience, and enthusiasm. | |||
| Hausa | matasa | ||
| The word "matasa" may be connected to the Arabic word "shābb" or "shu’ayb", which also mean "youth". | |||
| Igbo | okorobịa | ||
| The word "okorobịa" also refers to a group of young men in Igbo society who perform specific societal roles and functions. | |||
| Malagasy | ho an'ny zatovo | ||
| The Malagasy word for "youth" can also refer to the period of transition from adolescence to adulthood, or the state of being inexperienced. | |||
| Nyanja (Chichewa) | wachinyamata | ||
| The word "wachinyamata" in Nyanja can also mean "new generation" or "young generation." | |||
| Shona | vechidiki | ||
| Somali | dhalinyarada | ||
| In Somali, | |||
| Sesotho | bocha | ||
| In Sesotho, "bocha" also refers to a type of traditional fermented beverage made from maize or sorghum. | |||
| Swahili | vijana | ||
| Xhosa | ulutsha | ||
| Ulutsha also means 'a young adult' and can be used to address a young person. | |||
| Yoruba | odo | ||
| "Odo" in Yoruba also means "river" or "stream" and is often used to refer to young people who are considered to be as lively and flowing as a river. | |||
| Zulu | intsha | ||
| The word 'intsha' in Zulu is derived from the Proto-Bantu word '*i-c-a' meaning 'young person' and also refers to the young of animals. | |||
| Bambara | denmisɛnya | ||
| Ewe | sɔhɛ | ||
| Kinyarwanda | rubyiruko | ||
| Lingala | elenge | ||
| Luganda | obuvubuka | ||
| Sepedi | baswa | ||
| Twi (Akan) | babunu | ||
Youth in North African & Middle Eastern Languages
| Arabic | شباب | ||
| "شباب" literally means 'sparks' and can also refer to the hair on a young man's face. | |||
| Hebrew | נוֹעַר | ||
| The Hebrew word "נוֹעַר" can also refer to the "period of adolescence" or the "young people" in a community. | |||
| Pashto | ځوانان | ||
| The word 'ځوانان' in Pashto can also refer to "the younger generation" or "young people" in general | |||
| Arabic | شباب | ||
| "شباب" literally means 'sparks' and can also refer to the hair on a young man's face. | |||
Youth in Western European Languages
| Albanian | rinia | ||
| The word "rinia" in Albanian can also be used to refer to a "young woman" or a "young bride". | |||
| Basque | gazteria | ||
| The word "gazteria" also refers to the period in life when one is young and unmarried. | |||
| Catalan | joventut | ||
| The word "joventut" derives from the Latin "iuventus", meaning "young people" or "youthful period". | |||
| Croatian | mladosti | ||
| The word "mladosti" is derived from the Proto-Slavic word *mladъ, meaning "young" or "tender". | |||
| Danish | ungdom | ||
| The word "ungdom" is derived from the Old Norse word "ungr" meaning "young" and the suffix "-dom" meaning "state, condition, or quality". | |||
| Dutch | jeugd | ||
| The Dutch word "jeugd" is etymologically related to the English "young," but can refer to any age from puberty until full adult status, and can also be used ironically for a much older yet youthful person. | |||
| English | youth | ||
| Derived from the Old English word 'geoguð', meaning 'the time of life between childhood and adulthood'. | |||
| French | jeunesse | ||
| The word "jeunesse" comes from the Latin "iuventus," meaning both "youth" and "activity," which is also the root of the English word "juvenile." | |||
| Frisian | jeugd | ||
| The Frisian word "jeugd" can also refer to the time of day between 10am and noon. | |||
| Galician | xuventude | ||
| The Galician word "xuventude" comes from the Latin "iuventus," or "young people." | |||
| German | jugend | ||
| The word 'Jugend' has various connotations, such as the period of life between adolescence and young adulthood, a state of enthusiasm and idealism, or literary and artistic movements associated with the late 19th and early 20th centuries. | |||
| Icelandic | æsku | ||
| The word | |||
| Irish | óige | ||
| Italian | gioventù | ||
| From Latin *iuventus* 'young men', 'youth', from *iuvenis* 'young' | |||
| Luxembourgish | jugend | ||
| The word "Jugend" is also sometimes used to refer to the "young people" in a group. | |||
| Maltese | żgħażagħ | ||
| Maltese "żgħażagħ" is derived from the Arabic "shabāb," which also means "young men" or "young people" and is related to the Hebrew "tsaba," meaning "fighting force" or "army." | |||
| Norwegian | ungdom | ||
| The word "ungdom" derives from the Old Norse word "ungr," meaning "young" or "inexperienced," and the suffix "-dom," which denotes a state or condition. | |||
| Portuguese (Portugal, Brazil) | juventude | ||
| The word "juventude" shares its root with "juventus", the Latin word for "youthful vigor" or "young men". | |||
| Scots Gaelic | òigeachd | ||
| The word "òigeachd" in Scots Gaelic can also refer to a period of time, namely the period from the age of 15 to 25. | |||
| Spanish | juventud | ||
| The Spanish word "juventud" derives from Latin "iuventus", which originally referred to military conscripts. | |||
| Swedish | ungdom | ||
| The word 'ungdom' is derived from the Old Norse word 'ungr', meaning 'young' or 'immature'. | |||
| Welsh | ieuenctid | ||
| In Old Irish, the word "óige" meant "younger ones" and was related to "ua","grandson". | |||
Youth in Eastern European Languages
| Belarusian | моладзь | ||
| Bosnian | mladost | ||
| The word 'mladost' is also used to refer to the period of life between childhood and adulthood. | |||
| Bulgarian | младост | ||
| The Bulgarian word "младост" (youth) is also used figuratively to refer to a period of great vitality and creativity or a feeling of freshness and enthusiasm. | |||
| Czech | mládí | ||
| "Mládí" also means "youthfulness, vigor, freshness, greenness, or newness." | |||
| Estonian | noorus | ||
| In Old Scandinavian, the word "noor" meant "battle god". "Noorus" could therefore have meant "heroic bravery" among the Vikings. | |||
| Finnish | nuoriso | ||
| The word 'nuoriso' may also refer to a youth organization or a youth group. | |||
| Hungarian | ifjúság | ||
| In Old Hungarian, the word | |||
| Latvian | jaunatne | ||
| "Jaunatne" also relates to the concept of "a young forest". | |||
| Lithuanian | jaunimas | ||
| Jaunimas is derived from the word | |||
| Macedonian | младина | ||
| The word "младина" also means "young people" or "young animals" in Macedonian. | |||
| Polish | młodość | ||
| "Młodość" shares an etymology with "modlić się" ("to pray") due to the old meaning of youth being "the time spent asking someone for help, begging, being dependent". | |||
| Romanian | tineret | ||
| Etymology : < latin tener - tender, young, weak. | |||
| Russian | молодежь | ||
| In Russian, "молодежь" originally meant "newly married couple" | |||
| Serbian | младости | ||
| The Slavic root of 'младости' also appears in the modern Russian word 'молодой', which also means 'young'. | |||
| Slovak | mladosť | ||
| The word "mladosť" in Slovak is derived from the Proto-Slavic root "*mladъ", which also means "young" in Russian, Polish, and other Slavic languages. | |||
| Slovenian | mladost | ||
| The word derives from the Proto-Slavic word '`ml?dъ'` (young), from the Proto-Indo-European root '*h₃melh₂-' meaning 'soft', 'young'. | |||
| Ukrainian | молоді | ||
| {"text": "The Ukrainian word for youth, "молоді", is related to the Proto-Slavic term "molodosti", which additionally meant "young, newly married, and recently arrived" and was likely derived from a combination of "mel-" (to grind, mill) and "od-" (from) referring to new life springing forth from a mill."} | |||
Youth in South Asian Languages
| Bengali | যৌবন | ||
| যৌবন comes from the Sanskrit 'yavana' meaning 'Greek' or 'Ionian', and also referred to a period of life. | |||
| Gujarati | યુવાની | ||
| Hindi | जवानी | ||
| In Hindi, the word "जवानी" derives from the Sanskrit "युवनी," also meaning "youthful woman." | |||
| Kannada | ಯುವ ಜನ | ||
| The word 'ಯುವ ಜನ' ('youth') in Kannada can also refer to young people specifically between the ages of 18 and 40. | |||
| Malayalam | യുവാക്കൾ | ||
| Marathi | तारुण्य | ||
| The word "तारुण्य" (youth) in Marathi has an alternate meaning of "strength" or "vigor". | |||
| Nepali | युवावस्था | ||
| The word 'युवावस्था' also denotes a Hindu religious ceremony that marks the transition from childhood to adulthood. | |||
| Punjabi | ਜਵਾਨੀ | ||
| The word "ਜਵਾਨੀ" in Punjabi also refers to the period of life between adolescence and adulthood, or the prime of life. | |||
| Sinhala (Sinhalese) | තරුණ | ||
| The word "තරුණ" in Sinhala can also mean "tender" or "flexible". | |||
| Tamil | இளைஞர்கள் | ||
| Telugu | యువత | ||
| The word "యువత" can also refer to a group of young people, often in a political or social context. | |||
| Urdu | جوانی | ||
| The word “جوانی” can also mean youthfulness, adolescence, or the prime of one's life. | |||
Youth in East Asian Languages
| Chinese (Simplified) | 青年 | ||
| While "青年" often denotes "youth," it can also refer to people aged 15-45. | |||
| Chinese (Traditional) | 青年 | ||
| In addition to "youth," the word "青年" can also refer to a social class that includes people between the ages of 15 and 25 or 35. | |||
| Japanese | 若者 | ||
| Korean | 청소년 | ||
| Originally, 청소년 referred to teenagers, whereas 청년 referred to youths in general, but now both terms are commonly used for young people between 13 and 24. | |||
| Mongolian | залуучууд | ||
| Myanmar (Burmese) | လူငယ် | ||
Youth in South East Asian Languages
| Indonesian | pemuda | ||
| The word "pemuda" is often interpreted as "young person," but may also mean "young rice plant," with the connotation of "new." This usage is most commonly heard in the context of formal or written Javanese.} | |||
| Javanese | para mudha | ||
| The Javanese word "para mudha" can also be translated as "young people" or "children". | |||
| Khmer | យុវជន | ||
| The term "យុវជន" can refer not only to youth, but also to "immaturity" or the "young at heart". | |||
| Lao | ຊາວ ໜຸ່ມ | ||
| Malay | belia | ||
| The word "belia" in Malay comes from the Sanskrit word "bala" meaning "army" or "young people". | |||
| Thai | เยาวชน | ||
| The Thai word | |||
| Vietnamese | thiếu niên | ||
| The word "thiếu niên" originally meant "servant boy" in Chinese, and it still has this meaning in Vietnamese. | |||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kabataan | ||
Youth in Central Asian Languages
| Azerbaijani | gənclik | ||
| "Gənclik" is derived from the Old Turkic word "jenç", meaning "new" or "young". | |||
| Kazakh | жастар | ||
| The Kazakh word "жастар" also has connotations of "young people" and "new generation". | |||
| Kyrgyz | жаштар | ||
| The word | |||
| Tajik | ҷавонон | ||
| The word "ҷавонон" in Tajik is derived from the Persian word "جوان" (javan), which not only means "youth" but also "brave" or "courageous." | |||
| Turkmen | ýaşlyk | ||
| Uzbek | yoshlar | ||
| The word "yoshlar" in Uzbek can refer to both the concept of youth as well as the period of time between childhood and adulthood. | |||
| Uyghur | ياش | ||
Youth in Pacific Languages
| Hawaiian | ʻōpio | ||
| ʻōpio can refer to either the time of life between childhood and adulthood or to young people collectively. | |||
| Maori | taiohi | ||
| "Taiohi" also refers to the age group between childhood and adulthood in Maori culture. | |||
| Samoan | talavou | ||
| Samoan word talavou may also refer to a person who is not related but is considered to be a sibling or a cousin. | |||
| Tagalog (Filipino) | kabataan | ||
Youth in American Indigenous Languages
| Aymara | wayna | ||
| Guarani | tekopyahu | ||
Youth in International Languages
| Esperanto | juneco | ||
| The Esperanto word "juneco" is a calque from the German word "Jugend" and is related to the English word "young". | |||
| Latin | puer | ||
| The Latin word "puer" can also refer to a slave or servant of any age. | |||
Youth in Others Languages
| Greek | νεολαία | ||
| The word "νεολαία" is derived from the Greek word "νέος," meaning "new," and refers to the period of life after childhood and before adulthood. | |||
| Hmong | cov hluas | ||
| The word "cov hluas" also means "young people" or "the younger generation" in Hmong. | |||
| Kurdish | ciwanan | ||
| The word "ciwanan" also carries the meanings of "new life" and "spring" in the Kurdish language. | |||
| Turkish | gençlik | ||
| The word | |||
| Xhosa | ulutsha | ||
| Ulutsha also means 'a young adult' and can be used to address a young person. | |||
| Yiddish | יוגנט | ||
| The Yiddish word "יוגנט" is sometimes spelled "יוגנט" and is the source of the English word "Yuppie" (Young Urban Professional). | |||
| Zulu | intsha | ||
| The word 'intsha' in Zulu is derived from the Proto-Bantu word '*i-c-a' meaning 'young person' and also refers to the young of animals. | |||
| Assamese | যুৱকাল | ||
| Aymara | wayna | ||
| Bhojpuri | जवान | ||
| Dhivehi | ޒުވާން | ||
| Dogri | नौजुआन | ||
| Filipino (Tagalog) | kabataan | ||
| Guarani | tekopyahu | ||
| Ilocano | kinabannuag | ||
| Krio | yɔŋ | ||
| Kurdish (Sorani) | گەنجی | ||
| Maithili | युवा | ||
| Meiteilon (Manipuri) | ꯅꯍꯥꯔꯣꯜ | ||
| Mizo | tleirawl | ||
| Oromo | dargaggoo | ||
| Odia (Oriya) | ଯୁବକ | ||
| Quechua | warma kay | ||
| Sanskrit | युवा | ||
| Tatar | яшьлек | ||
| Tigrinya | መንእሰይ | ||
| Tsonga | muntshwa | ||