teenager

Everyday

A person between 13 and 19 years old. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, teenagers are older brothers, sisters, cousins or babysitters; they go to secondary or high school. In maths, the «teens» are the ages that end in «-teen»: thirteen to nineteen, so a teenager is 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 or 19 — 7 different ages. In health lessons, the teenage years bring puberty and big body changes. Phrases: «a teenage boy/girl», «in your teens», «teenage years».

Examples

• My cousin is a teenager; he's fifteen. tree →
• When you turn thirteen, you become a teenager. tree →
• Teenagers often like to sleep late. tree →
• Our babysitter is a responsible teenager. tree →
• The film is for teenagers and adults, not young children. tree →
• In ten years, I'll be a teenager no more. tree →
• Teenagers go to high school or secondary school. tree →
• My sister became a teenager last month. tree →

Note

Countable. Adjective: «teenage» (a teenage girl); informal «teen». Trap: 11 and 12 are not teens, even though «eleven» and «twelve» sound like it; only thirteen to nineteen end in «-teen».