Para abajo - Younger

Question

Has any one seen 'para abajo' used to mean younger - after stating a certain age?

Eg: ... de dos años de edad para abajo.

and why wouldn't it be 'y menos' or 'y más jovenes'?

Edit: Sorry I probably didn't phrase this very well, what I mean is - you know how we say - four years and under, or even four years down - is 'para abajo' the equivalent in Spanish? Do people use this?

Answer 1

In Spain we say most of those, although some sound a little more colloquial than others:

• niños menores de dos años (this would probably be the simplest, most common, and correct of all)
• niños de hasta dos años
• niños de menos de dos años
• niños de dos años para abajo (this sounds a little 'meh', but some people do say it)
• ..

'más jóvenes' or 'más mayores' is used to make comparisons between two or more people, or simply to talk about yourself a few years younger or older, not when you want to describe the group of people older/younger than a certain age. For instance:

• María es dos años más joven que Marta (in this case you could have simply used 'menor' instead of 'más joven')
• Cuando era un par de años más joven, solía correr 10 Km a diario

You would never say: 'Este juguete es para niños de dos años y más jóvenes'. or 'de dos años y menos' That's just not Spanish grammar, and sounds awkward to us.

Answer 2

That form is used... at least in Mexico...

"De dos años para abajo" (2 years and under) , or "de dos años para arriba" (2 years and up)

I think is more common to say "niños de hasta dos años", "kids up to 2 years old". or "niños de dos años en adelante","kids from 2 years and up"

"y menos"... sounds very weird... I think is more used "o menos", "de dos años o menos"

"y más jóvenes"... is never used in this case, "y más chicos" is more common...

Answer 3

Didn't find anything about it meaning younger, but did find this....(not what you're looking for, but interesting)

para abajo

1.A dance movement in salsa. It involves forward basic movement (boy with left) while turning the girl to the right. Then (boy with right) stepping right while pulling the girl close and turning her to the left. Meanwhile the girl keeps on taking sliding steps backwards.

lol, I'll bear that in mind next time I'm tango-ing je je - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 24, 2010

Answer 4

Anyone else heard of this?

Answer 5

From Webster Dictionary......no mention of younger there, either....

abajo adverb

Translation of ABAJO

1: down

2: downstairs

3: under, beneath

4: down with

5abajo de : under, beneath

6de abajo : bottom

7hacia abajo or para abajo : downwards

8cuesta abajo : downhill

9río abajo : downstream

thanks Echo, I've rephrased the question as I don't think I put it very well the first time. - Kiwi-Girl, Nov 24, 2010