Spanish Conversation · Level 29
89 words
Spanish word
niño
Pronunciation
IPA/ˈniɲo/
Meaning
- masculine nounboy
Example
¿Dónde está el niño?
Where is the boy?
More examples
El niño pequeño juega en el parque.
The little boy plays in the park.
Core concept
Little boy playing in a yard.
Common phrases
el niño pequeño
the little boy
un niño travieso
a mischievous boy
el niño mayor
the older boy
Similar words
chico: Boyish youth, informal and colloquial, often implying a teenager.
nene: Very young child, cutesy and affectionate, for babies or toddlers.
crío: Young child in colloquial speech, slightly rougher or cheeky in tone.
Definition in Spanish
Persona de sexo masculino que aún es joven, generalmente desde bebé hasta antes de la adolescencia; término habitual para referirse a un hijo varón o a un chico en el habla cotidiana.
Word origin
From Vulgar Latin ninnus, a baby-talk or cradle word that evolved into medieval Spanish and came to mean a young male child.
Usage tips
- The tilde on the n (ñ) marks the palatal nasal 'ny' sound, so writing nino without the tilde changes pronunciation and is a spelling error.