Young (adjective) means having lived or existed for only a short time; not yet old or fully mature. As a noun, the young refers to young people as a group, or to the offspring of an animal.
What Does Young Mean?
Young comes from Old English geong, related to Old High German jung and ultimately to Latin juvenis (a young person). That same Latin root gives us juvenile, junior, and rejuvenate. The word has been part of the English language without interruption since before the Norman Conquest, making it one of the oldest and most deeply embedded adjectives in the language.
In modern British English, young is used freely across all registers. It can describe a person's age ('a young teacher'), a company's history ('a young business'), a wine's development ('a young Bordeaux'), or even an idea's maturity ('a young democracy'). When used as a collective noun — the young — it refers to young people as a social group, often in contrast with 'the old' or 'the elderly'.
Note the spelling trap: the 'ou' in young is pronounced /ʌ/ (like sun), not /aʊ/ (like sound). This catches many learners off guard. Compare: young /jʌŋ/, your /jɔː/, you /juː/ — all spelt with 'you' but pronounced very differently.
Example Sentences by Level
| Level | Sentence | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| A2 | My sister is very young — she is only six years old. | basic predicative use |
| B1 | She started learning English at a young age and became highly proficient. | attributive use before a noun |
| B1 | The young man smiled and offered to carry her bags. | young + noun (person) |
| B2 | The campaign aims to engage young people in local politics and civic life. | young people — common collocation |
| C1 | Despite being in her late fifties, she has a remarkably young outlook on life and embraces change with enthusiasm. | figurative / metaphorical use |
Collocations
Learning young with its most frequent partners will help you sound natural in both spoken and written English.
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| young people | Young people are increasingly using social media for news. |
| young children | The story is suitable for young children aged four and above. |
| young adult | This novel is marketed as a young adult thriller. |
| young man / young woman | A young woman approached the reception desk. |
| young at heart | My grandfather is seventy but still young at heart. |
| young professional | The area is popular with young professionals working in finance. |
| young offender | The court referred him to a young offender institution. |
| young talent | The academy has a reputation for nurturing young talent. |
| the young (noun) | The young are often more adaptable than the old. |
| younger generation | The younger generation prefers streaming to broadcast television. |
Usage Notes
How to Use Young Correctly
Attributive vs predicative: Young works in both positions. Attributive: 'a young doctor'. Predicative: 'The doctor is young.' Both are perfectly standard.
Young people vs the young: 'Young people' is more common in everyday writing and is neutral. 'The young' is more formal or journalistic: 'The young need better career guidance.' Avoid 'the youngs' — this is not standard English.
Age ranges: Young does not specify an exact age range. Context and collocation clarify meaning: 'young children' implies pre-school to primary age; 'young adults' typically means 18–25; 'young professionals' suggests people in their twenties and early thirties.
Figurative use: Young can describe non-human things to suggest early development, freshness, or novelty: 'a young wine', 'a young industry', 'a young democracy'. This is a sophisticated stylistic choice at B2+ level.
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
She is more young than her brother.
She is younger than her brother. (use the irregular comparative: younger, not more young)
The youngs don't always listen to advice.
Young people don't always listen to advice. / The young don't always listen to advice. (no plural form 'youngs')
He is a very young-aged student.
He is a very young student. ('young-aged' is redundant — young already expresses age)
Related Words
Expanding your vocabulary around young will help you discuss age, development, and generational topics with greater precision.