Ni hao Natalia! I too agree with Dilce and Forvill. In Portugal, nowadays, is not so frequent to use the words 'garoto' and 'garota', but when used they are meant to refer to someone from young childhood to the start of adolescency (maybe from 5 to 10/12 years-old). In Brasil I know the words are applied to older ages... 'Menino' and 'menina' are words applied to young children, from birth to the start of adolescency, but we use more often the word 'criança' (sounds like 'crianssa' and is the equivalent to 'child' in english). In Portugal we consider that someone is a child ('criança') until he/she is 16 years-old (although many get offended to be called a child by that age, so I advise you to address to someone younger with 'criança' only until the age of 12/13 years-old - they get less offended :). We use the term 'menina' also to address politely to a young woman who hasn't married yet. It's the equivalent to the english word 'miss'. The term 'menino' as means of addressing to a young boy in the same condition is less frequent, but sometimes is also used. 'Homem' and 'mulher' are terms used to refer people who entered the adulthood. There is no established minimum age for it, but we use it more often with people near the age of 30 years-old. I hope I have helped. All the best PS: just a curiosity - we also have a drink named 'garoto'. Is an expresso coffee with half the cup filled with milk.

Oi Natalia! Concordo com a amiga acima quando diz que não tem idade certa para separar menino de adulto. Quanto ao significado, o que aprendi aqui em Curitiba é que menino ou garoto tem o mesmo significado, apenas são usados em cidades diferentes. Aqui usamos a palavra GURÍ e GURIA, que, para nós, tem o mesmo significado de garoto e garota ou menino e menina. In my opinio the meaning is: teenage. It's something like car and automobile in English or macchina and automobile in italian,.

oi!!!! vou tentar responder... a princípio menino e menina usamos para crianças pequenas, quando ficam maiores usamos garoto ou garota. Não tem idade certa pra separar os termos menino-garoto-homem-senhor ou menina-garota-mulher-senhora, mas seria como criança-jovem-adulto-adulto mais velho. Espero ter podido ajudar!!!! Hello!!! Let me try to answer... At first we can use menino/menina for babies and young children, when we get a little older, it passes to garoto/garota, which can be used for children too, but older, guess you know the therm tweens... or the age before tenager... teagers and young adults can be called garoto/garota. For adults you use homem/mulher. As they grow older senhor/senhora. something like this: babies/child - tenager - adult - old adults menino - garoto - homem - senhor menina - garota - mulher - senhora. Hope I could help!