What Are the Age Ranges for Each Group in This List?
I would like to have a better idea of the ages that each of the terms in my list covers. Thanks in advance for you help and time.
Los niños
Los chicos
Los muchachos
Los jovenes
Los adolescentes
Las señoritas
2 Answers
Hi: I'll try to help you. Age is not the only factor here. Emotion or description is also involved as in English Boy vs Kid.
Los niños (the children) could refer from babies to grammar school pupils.
Los chicos (the small ones) would refer more to toddles and first graders in primary schools. Las chicas is the female youth in general.
Los muchachos (the boys) is used to talk about any male offsprings and young male people. Yours as well as strangers'. For highschool girls, you have las muchachas.
Los jóvenes (the young generation) will identify any person over 15 but younger than you.
Los adolescentes (the teenagers) used to correspond to the numbers thirteen to twenty; but ask any parents and you will find that some thirty-years-old still act like adolescents.
Las señoritas (the misses) was referring to unwed women of any age. But in that sense it became obsolete. It could still represent girls and youg womwn from the high society.
Sure, culture is also a factor that you might take in consideration.
Not being a native speake ,here is how I would answer these
Los niños.............. the children
Los chicos.............More than children but not adults
Los muchachos......Young men
Los jovenes.............The young in general
Los adolescentes.....Teens
Las señoritas.............all women unless you know them
