youth
1.a youth通常是“一个青年男子”,不指女子,如a girl and a youth,youths通常是“多个青年男子”,不指女子,如Both her brothers are tall fair-haired youths。
youth统指“男女青年们”,通常被当作复数,有时被当作单数。例如:The youth of the city are(或is)preparing for the charity bazaar. a thousand youth,college youth,a group of Chinese youth等表达方式里的youth都兼指男女。
2.They studied together in their youth(青年时代)里的youth改作youths也可以,但不及用youth普通。