Usage note
少年表示年轻人。
shào nián biǎo shì nián qīng rén。
Youth means a young person.
Context note
少年常用于书面语、新闻和故事。
shào nián cháng yòng yú shū miàn yǔ 、 xīn wén hé gù shì。
Youth often appears in written language, news, and stories.
5 examples
这个少年很聪明。
zhè ge shào nián hěn cōng ming。
This youth is very smart.
少年喜欢运动。
shào nián xǐ huan yùn dòng。
Young people like sports.
他从少年时期开始学琴。
tā cóng shào nián shí qī kāi shǐ xué qín。
He started learning piano in his youth.
少年要努力学习。
shào nián yào nǔ lì xué xí。
Young people should study hard.
这个故事讲的是一个少年。
zhè ge gù shì jiǎng de shì yí gè shào nián。
This story is about a youth.
5 mini stories
少年时代的他很爱读书。
shào nián shí dài de tā hěn ài dú shū。
In his youth, he loved reading.
这个少年每天都跑步。
zhè ge shào nián měi tiān dōu pǎo bù。
This youth runs every day.
少年们在操场上比赛。
shào nián men zài cāo chǎng shàng bǐ sài。
The youths are competing on the playground.
老师鼓励少年们多提问。
lǎo shī gǔ lì shào nián men duō tí wèn。
The teacher encouraged the youths to ask more questions.
故事里的少年很勇敢。
gù shì lǐ de shào nián hěn yǒng gǎn。
The youth in the story is very brave.
Mini dialogue
少年足球队
A
那些踢足球的孩子多大了？
Nàxiē tī zúqiú de háizi duō dà le?
How old are those kids playing football?
B
他们是少年队的，大概十二三岁。
Tāmen shì shàonián duì de, dàgài shí'èr sān suì.
They are the youth team, about twelve or thirteen years old.
少年时光
A
爷爷，您最怀念什么时候？
Yéye, nín zuì huáiniàn shénme shíhou?
Grandpa, what time do you miss the most?
B
我最怀念我的少年时光。
Wǒ zuì huáiniàn wǒ de shàonián shíguāng.
I miss my youth the most.
Related words and contrasts
related
儿童
ér tóng
child
少年 is older youth; 儿童 refers to younger children.
related
青年
qīng nián
young adult, youth
青年 is the stage after 少年, roughly teenage to early adulthood.
contrast
成年
chéng nián
adult
少年 is a young person; 成年 means a grown-up.