What does ‘chaval’ mean in Spain?
In Spain, a chaval (chavala for a girl or young woman) is a kid, a lad or a young person, roughly from childhood to the early twenties. It is informal and friendly, and older people use ¡chaval! to address a younger one, a bit like “kid” or “young man”.
Hear it in a real scene
In the Lince app, you hear chaval / chavala in a scene from Cars, “El mejor piloto marcha atrás”:
«Chaval, soy el mejor piloto del mundo marcha atrás.» Kid, I'm the best reverse driver in the world.
What chaval / chavala means
Kid, young person Informal
Cuando era un chaval means “When I was a kid”, and los chavales del barrio are the neighbourhood kids or teenagers. Chavalín or chavalito is a small child.
¡Chaval!, chavales — form of address Informal
An adult can say ¡Oye, chaval! to a boy or young man, and a group of friends or a team is often addressed as chavales: Venga, chavales, que nos vamos.
Estar hecho un chaval — to look young Informal
Said of an older person who looks or acts younger than their age: Con setenta años está hecho un chaval.
Where and when you will hear it
Chaval comes from caló, the language of Spain’s Roma, and it is used everywhere in Spain by all ages. It is affectionate or neutral, though addressing an adult stranger as chaval can sound condescending.
Latin America has its own words: chavo in Mexico, pibe in Argentina, chamo in Venezuela.
Examples from everyday Spain Spanish
- Cuando era un chaval, jugaba al fútbol todos los días.When I was a kid, I played football every day.
- Venga, chavales, que llegamos tarde.Come on, guys, we’re going to be late.
- Oye, chaval, se te ha caído esto.Hey, young man, you dropped this.
- Mi abuelo tiene ochenta años y está hecho un chaval.My grandad is eighty and still young at heart.
- La chavala de la tienda me ha ayudado un montón.The girl at the shop helped me loads.
How to say it
chah-BAHL: the stress is on the last syllable, ch is as in “church”, the v is a soft b, and the final l is clear. The plural chavales is chah-BAH-les.
Frequently asked questions
How old is a chaval?
Roughly anyone from a child up to their early twenties: a boy, a teenager or a young man.
Is it rude to call an adult chaval?
It can be. Between friends it is friendly, but calling a stranger chaval can sound condescending.
What do Latin Americans say instead of chaval?
Each country has its own word: chavo in Mexico, pibe in Argentina and chamo in Venezuela, for example.