How to say "youth" in Japanese

• 青年せいねんJLPT N3approx.Common
  nounThe person sense of 'youth': a young man. Use it when English 'youth' means an individual young male rather than a period of life or young people in general.
  あの長髪ちょうはつの青年せいねんは粗野そやだ。↗

  That long-haired youth is rude.
• 青春せいしゅんJLPT N1approx.Common
  nounThe time-of-life sense: one's youthful years, carrying the warm, evocative coloring suggested by 'springtime of life'. Choose it for talk of spending or looking back on one's youth.
  僕ぼくらは青春せいしゅんの真っ只中まっただなかだ。↗

  We are in the heyday of youth.
• ユースCommon
  nounA loanword that mostly appears as part of set phrases and compounds rather than standing alone; by itself it is only a marginal way to say 'youth', so it is seldom the word you want.
• 若年じゃくねんCommon
  no-adjectiveTreats youth as an age bracket — the fact of being young — rather than as a person or a period of life; when English simply says 'youth', it is seldom the word you want.
  政府せいふは、若年じゃくねん層そうの要求ようきゅうと、老人ろうじんの要求ようきゅうとの釣り合つりあいをとるのに大おおいに苦労くろうすることになるだろう。↗

  The government will have much trouble balancing the needs of its younger population with the requirements of the old people.
• 青少年せいしょうねんJLPT N2approx.Common
  nounThe collective sense: 'youth' as young people or the younger generation, a group within society. Choose it when the reference is to young people in general, not to one young man or one's youthful years.
  私には青少年せいしょうねんの心理しんりがわからない。↗

  I can not understand the psychology of adolescents.

For a young man use 青年; for one's youthful years, 青春; for young people as a group, 青少年. 「ユース」 appears chiefly in set phrases, and 若年 refers to young age itself, so both are rarely the general word.

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

• 青年せいねんyouth
• 青春せいしゅんyouth
• ユースyouth
• 若年じゃくねんyouth
• 青少年せいしょうねんyoung people
• 若さわかさyouth
• 若い者わかいものyoung person
• 若者わかものyoung person
• 若わかyouth
• 若齢じゃくれいyouth
• 少壮しょうそうyouth
• 年少者ねんしょうしゃyouth
• 青年期せいねんきyouth
• 壮丁そうていyouth
• 青年時代せいねんじだい(one's) youth
• あおはるyouth
• 若い衆わかいしゅyoung man
• こわっぱboy
• グリーンエージyoung generation
• 青春期せいしゅんきadolescence
• 若きわかきyoung person
• 若き日わかきひyounger days
• ヤングyouth
• 弱冠じゃっかんyouth