Youngest daughter: pequña or mas joven

Question

Hello,One of the questions involved translating a sentence that mentions a “youngest daughter.” I used “muy joven” but the answer was “pequeño.” I thought that pequeño means small, so this use of the word surprises me. Is it just one of those things one has to know?Thanks for your help!Anne

Accepted Answer

Hola Anne
Yes, it's one of those you have to know : ))
In Spanish, to refer to your youngest child you normally say:

mi hijo pequeño 
mi hija pequeña

This is understood as your youngest (among several children)
If you want to refer to your oldest child, then you say:

mi hijo mayor
mi hija mayor

Mayor could also be the comparative adjective to say "older"; for example:

Carmen es mayor que Juan.
Carmen is older than Juan.

But in that context, talking about your oldest child, you also use it to say "oldest".
I hope this clarified it.
Saludos
Inma