jovem

Jovem is a Portuguese term that functions as both an adjective and a noun, describing youth and young people. As an adjective, jovem refers to someone or something in the early stage of life, indicating youthfulness relative to adulthood. It agrees with the gender of the noun it modifies in articles and pronouns, but the form juvenil is distinct when used as a separate adjective (for example, jovem atleta). As a noun, jovem denotes a young person, typically a person in adolescence or early adulthood: um jovem, uma jovem.

Etymology and form: the word derives from Latin iuvenis, meaning young, and entered Portuguese through historical development of the language. The feminine and masculine singular share the same written form, with gender indicated by accompanying articles or pronouns; the plural forms are os jovens (masculine) and as jovens (feminine).

Usage and contexts: in both Brazilian Portuguese and European Portuguese, the term is widely used in education, media, and social policy to refer to people who are not yet fully adults. Age ranges labeled as “jovem” vary by context, but discussions of youth often cover roughly late adolescence to early adulthood, commonly around 15 to 29 years old. The term appears in everyday language as well as in compound phrases such as jovem atleta (young athlete) and movimentos de juventude (youth movements).

See also: juventude (youth), juvenil (juvenile), jovem adulto (young adult).