In the English language, words can be categorized as either feminine or masculine. This categorization is primarily based on grammatical gender, which is the classification of nouns and pronouns into different genders.
Feminine words typically refer to females, whereas masculine words typically refer to males. However, it’s important to note that grammatical gender does not always correlate with biological gender or societal gender roles. It is simply a linguistic feature used to assign gender to words for grammatical agreement.
Feminine words are usually characterized by specific endings or suffixes that denote the feminine gender. For example, words ending in “-ess” like actress, waitress, and lioness are usually feminine. Additionally, words ending in “-ine” like heroine, shepherdess, and queen are considered feminine. However, this is not an absolute rule, and exceptions do exist.
On the other hand, masculine words usually lack these specific endings. For instance, words like actor, waiter, and lion are considered masculine. Similarly, words such as hero, shepherd, and king are masculine.
100 Examples Of Masculine And Feminine Gender
Masculine | Feminine
1. Actor | Actress
2. King | Queen
3. Emperor | Empress
4. Prince | Princess
5. Lion | Lioness
6. Bull | Cow
7. Horse | Mare
8. Ram | Ewe
9. Rooster | Hen
10. Sir | Madam
11. Father | Mother
12. Son | Daughter
13. Brother | Sister
14. Uncle | Aunt
15. Nephew | Niece
16. Man | Woman
17. Boy | Girl
18. Gentleman | Lady
19. Duke | Duchess
20. Lord | Lady
21. Hero | Heroine
22. Duke | Duchess
23. Prince charming | Princess
24. Widower | Widow
25. Groom | Bride
26. Stag | Doe
27. Sir | Ma’am
28. God | Goddess
29. Monk | Nun
30. Gentleman | Lady
31. Peacock | Peahen
32. Father-in-law | Mother-in-law
33. Brother-in-law | Sister-in-law
34. Grandfather | Grandmother
35. Grandson | Granddaughter
36. Husband | Wife
37. Son-in-law | Daughter-in-law
38. Father figure | Mother figure
39. Daddy | Mommy
40. Uncle | Auntie
41. Nephew | Niece
42. Gentleman | Lady
43. Son | Daughter
44. Male | Female
45. He | She
46. Actor | Actress
47. King | Queen
48. Prince | Princess
49. Duke | Duchess
50. Nephew | Niece
51. Grandfather | Grandmother
52. Brother-in-law | Sister-in-law
53. Father | Mother
54. Boyfriend | Girlfriend
55. Fiancé | Fiancée
56. Bull | Cow
57. Stallion | Mare
58. Rooster | Hen
59. Gander | Goose
60. Tomcat | Queen
61. Ram | Ewe
62. Boar | Sow
63. Cock | Hen
64. Sir | Madam
65. Masculine | Feminine
66. Man | Woman
67. Gentleman | Lady
68. Mr. | Mrs.
69. Mr. | Ms.
70. Brother | Sister
71. Father | Mother
72. Son | Daughter
73. Grandfather | Grandmother
74. Nephew | Niece
75. Uncle | Aunt
76. Groom | Bride
77. Stag | Doe
78. Lad | Lass
79. Bull | Cow
80. Stallion | Mare
81. Buck | Doe
82. Sir | Ma’am
83. Priest | Priestess
84. Monk | Nun
85. Lion | Lioness
86. Tiger | Tigress
87. Leopard | Leopardess
88. Rhino | Rhinoceros
89. Elephant | Elephantess
90. Emperor | Empress
91. Duke | Duchess
92. Baron | Baroness
93. Count | Countess
94. Marquis | Marquise
95. Prince | Princess
96. Musketeer | Musketeerette
97. Titan | Titaness
98. Warlock | Witch
99. Pope | Queen pope (historical)
100. Superhero | Superheroine
It’s essential to remember that not all nouns have inherent gender, and many words can be used interchangeably for both genders. These are called gender-neutral or epicene words. For instance, words like doctor, teacher, and musician can be used for both males and females.
In addition to nouns, gender distinctions are also present in pronouns. Pronouns are words that take the place of nouns, such as he, she, him, and her. He, him, and his are used to refer to males, making them masculine pronouns. Conversely, she, her, and hers are used to refer to females, making them feminine pronouns.
Apart from pronouns, gendered forms can be seen in various adjectives, articles, and determiners that agree with the gender of the noun they modify. For example, in English, the article “a” is generally used before masculine nouns (e.g., a cat), while “an” is used before feminine nouns (e.g., an apple).
It is worth noting that people’s perspectives and societal attitudes toward gender have evolved over time. As a result, the use of feminine and masculine words has become increasingly flexible and fluid. Many people now prefer to use gender-neutral language or inclusive terminology to avoid reinforcing stereotypes or excluding non-binary individuals.
In conclusion, English has both feminine and masculine words based on grammatical gender. Feminine words typically have specific suffixes or endings indicating femininity, while masculine words lack such markers. However, it is crucial to recognize that gendered language does not always align with biological gender or societal roles, and many words can be used interchangeably for both genders or in gender-neutral ways.
