Italian · Emotions & Descriptions

"Young" in Italian: giovane

giovane

Say it: JOH-vah-nehadjective/ˈdʒɔ.va.ne/

Young in Italian is giovane (JOH-vah-neh) for all genders in the singular. Plural is giovani. I giovani means young people. Una ragazza giovane is a young woman.

Describing a colleague

È un insegnante giovane ma bravo.
He's a young teacher but good.
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How to pronounce giovane

Say it

JOH-vah-neh

/ˈdʒɔ.va.ne/

Giovane stresses JOH: JOH-vah-neh. Soft g before i. Plural giovani is JOH-vah-nee.

"Young" in Italian: quick reference

ItalianEnglish
giovaneyoung

Singular adjective for any gender.

giovaniyoung (plural)

Plural adjective or young people.

i giovaniyoung people

As a noun phrase.

da giovaneas a young person / when young

Talking about past youth.

How to use giovane in real life

  1. 1Describing a colleague

    È un insegnante giovane ma bravo.

    He's a young teacher but good.

    Giovane after the noun is common.

  2. 2City demographics chat

    I giovani escono tardi il sabato.

    Young people go out late on Saturdays.

    I giovani as a group.

  3. 3Looking at old photos

    Da giovane avevo i capelli lunghi.

    When I was young I had long hair.

    Da giovane = when young.

Mistakes English speakers make with giovane

Incorrect: Una donna giovana.

Correct: Una donna giovane.

Giovane does not become giovana—same form for feminine singular.

Incorrect: Loro sono giovane.

Correct: Loro sono giovani.

Plural adjective is giovani.

Good to know

Giovane covers teens through young adults; i giovani is a media-friendly group label. Calling someone giovane can be complimentary, while troppo giovane may question experience for a job or role.

Try it in a ChatPal conversation

Choosing a tour guide team

  1. ChatPal

    Il gruppo guida è giovane ma preparato.

    The guide team is young but prepared.

  2. You

    Meglio così: una guida giovane cammina veloce.

    Better that way: a young guide walks fast.

  3. ChatPal

    Anche i clienti oggi sono giovani.

    The clients today are young too.

  4. You

    Perfetto: un giro giovane e leggero.

    Perfect: a young, light outing.

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"Young" in other languages

FAQ

Common questions about "Young" in Italian

Does giovane change for feminine?

Not in the singular—giovane for both. Plural is giovani.

What does i giovani mean?

Young people.

How do I say when I was young?

Da giovane, or quando ero giovane.

Is giovane only for people?

Mostly people and animals; for new things prefer nuovo.

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