How to say "juvenile" in Japanese

• 児童じどうJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounThe noun sense: children, especially in educational, welfare, and official contexts. It labels young people as a category and does not carry the 'childish, immature' nuance that 'juvenile' can have in English.
  その学校がっこうの児童じどうはみんなその新あたらしい先生せんせいになついた。↗

  Every child in the school took to the new teacher.
• 年少ねんしょうCommon
  no-adjective, na-adjectiveCovers the adjectival sense 'young; of tender age'. It characterizes people by their youth, often when contrasting younger with older children, and does not by itself mean 'a juvenile' as a person.
  テレビは暴力ぼうりょく行為こういを見みせて、それがとりわけ年少ねんしょうの者ものたちに影響えいきょうを及およぼす。↗

  Television shows violence, which influences, above all, younger people.
• 少年しょうねんJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounA juvenile in the legal sense — a minor, as in reporting on juvenile crime — and, more generally, a boy. Note that outside legal usage it typically refers to males.
• ひよこCommon
  nounUsually written in kana, this is literally a chick and figuratively a greenhorn or rookie — an inexperienced newcomer. It is seldom the word you want for 'juvenile' meaning a young person.
  ルチアーノは大だい声援せいえんを背負せおって戦たたかえるかもしれないが、彼かれはまだヒヨコに過すぎない。↗

  Luciano might have the crowd behind him, but he's still wet behind the ears.

Choose 児童 for children in school and welfare contexts, 少年 for juveniles in legal contexts or for boys, 年少 for the 'young in age' sense, and 「ひよこ」 only figuratively for an inexperienced novice.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

• 児童じどうchildren
• 年少ねんしょうyoung
• ジュブナイルjuvenile
• 若年型じゃくねんがたjuvenile
• 幼若ようじゃくjuvenile
• 幼鳥ようちょうyoung bird
• 少年しょうねんjuvenile
• ひよこgreenhorn
• 小さいちいさいyoung