French word

jeunesse

Pronunciation

IPA/ʒœnɛs/

Meaning

  • feminine nounyouth

Example

La jeunesse est pleine d'énergie.

Youth is full of energy.

Illustration for jeunesse (youth)

More examples

Il veut garder sa jeunesse.

He wants to keep his youth.

Core concept

A time of young energy and enthusiasm, and the young people who belong to it.

Common phrases

  • garder sa jeunesse

    keep one's youth

  • se rappeler sa jeunesse

    remember one's youth

Similar words

adolescence: The stage when the body and mind develop from childhood toward adulthood.
âge: The number of years a person has lived.
adulte: A person who has reached adulthood.
enfance: The period of life when a person is a child.

Definition in French

État ou qualité d'être jeune, incluant énergie et enthousiasme propres à la jeunesse, et par extension l'ensemble des personnes jeunes ou une génération.

Word origin

The noun combines French jeune, from Latin juvenis, with the suffix -esse, which forms an abstract feminine noun.

Usage tips

  • Jeunesse can mean youth as a life stage or young people collectively, while adolescence refers more narrowly to the teenage period.

Other meanings

  • young peoplenoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word