<p>年轻人 refers to people younger than the speaker, usually people under 30.</p>

<p>少年 refers to people around 13-18.</p>

<p>青年 refers to people around 18-29.</p>

<p>青春 means the time period of or the experience of the age between 12-29. Often it is retrospective, as when you are in mid-age, you might say:回忆青春岁月/悔不该青春虚度, etc. Newspapers may write: 祖国今日之富强有赖于上一辈人挥洒青春. So perhaps it is the reason you get 80s photos</p>

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2020-03-06T02:47:08.997Z
So 青春 is what we may refer to in english as the "prime of our life"?
小奥利奥
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2020-03-05T17:13:15.070Z
2020-03-05T17:24:03.660Z
2020-03-05T17:24:03.660Z
Toosky Hierot
<p>Question:- " what is the difference, would you say, between 年轻 and 青春?"</p>

<p>This question has a certain amount of cultural biases, and even the national life-expectancy of a people. However, I would classify as follows.</p>

<p>青春:- </p>

<p>"青" =  green; "春" = Spring. Therefore a time of growth, beginnings, freshness. 青春 is normally used like in English -- "when we were young" So you have 青春痘, (acne); 青春期, (puberty) It therefore refers to both young in age, (around 15-20), as well as a state of mind / a certain outlook in life.</p>

<p>年轻:-   </p>

<p>年 = year; 轻 = light, (not heavy) </p>

<p>So, 年轻 is more a description of a person's age, normally as 年轻人, (young people, less than 30)</p>

<p>If you combine the two 青年, you get "youth" which refers more to a person's life experience, or lack of it. So this person should be both young and inexperience, (no more than 21) </p>

<p>As an aside, political parties in parts of the World, like The Young Conservatives, the youth wing of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom is for members aged 25 and under. Well, is a 25 year old a "youth"?</p>

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2020-03-06T07:49:57.150Z
2020-03-06T09:19:03.750Z
2020-03-06T09:19:03.750Z
Wayne Cheah
<p>So, just having a look at the following words and definitions:</p>

<p>青少年 - n. teenager, youth
年轻人 - n. youngster
年轻 - adj. young
青春 - n. youth; adj. youthful</p>

<p>Am I right in thinking that a 年轻人 is maybe up to 13/14, and that a 青少年 is a teenager (so 14-17)?</p>

<p>And what is the difference, would you say, between 年轻 and 青春? Google images seems to bring up modern pictures of young people for 年轻 and then photos of young people from the 70s/80s with 青春. Not entirely sure why...</p>

<vocabulary>
Youth, young, youngster, teenager, youthfulness
# Youth, young, youngster, teenager, youthfulness

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-03-05)

So, just having a look at the following words and definitions:

青少年 - n. teenager, youth
年轻人 - n. youngster
年轻 - adj. young
青春 - n. youth; adj. youthful

Am I right in thinking that a 年轻人 is maybe up to 13/14, and that a 青少年 is a teenager (so 14-17)?

And what is the difference, would you say, between 年轻 and 青春? Google images seems to bring up modern pictures of young people for 年轻 and then photos of young people from the 70s/80s with 青春. Not entirely sure why...

**Tags:** vocabulary


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## 2 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2020-03-05. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

年轻人 refers to people younger than the speaker, usually people under 30.

少年 refers to people around 13-18.

青年 refers to people around 18-29.

青春 means the time period of or the experience of the age between 12-29. Often it is retrospective, as when you are in mid-age, you might say:回忆青春岁月/悔不该青春虚度, etc. Newspapers may write: 祖国今日之富强有赖于上一辈人挥洒青春. So perhaps it is the reason you get 80s photos

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: So 青春 is what we may refer to in english as the "prime of our life"?  

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### Answer by username_3 on 2020-03-06. Score: 1

Question:- " what is the difference, would you say, between 年轻 and 青春?"

This question has a certain amount of cultural biases, and even the national life-expectancy of a people. However, I would classify as follows.

青春:-

"青" = green; "春" = Spring. Therefore a time of growth, beginnings, freshness. 青春 is normally used like in English -- "when we were young" So you have 青春痘, (acne); 青春期, (puberty) It therefore refers to both young in age, (around 15-20), as well as a state of mind / a certain outlook in life.

年轻:-

年 = year; 轻 = light, (not heavy)

So, 年轻 is more a description of a person's age, normally as 年轻人, (young people, less than 30)

If you combine the two 青年, you get "youth" which refers more to a person's life experience, or lack of it. So this person should be both young and inexperience, (no more than 21)

As an aside, political parties in parts of the World, like The Young Conservatives, the youth wing of the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom is for members aged 25 and under. Well, is a 25 year old a "youth"?


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