Gender Nouns
1. Nouns with gender forms
In English usually he or she is used for people and it for things. But there are some exceptions.
| male (masculine) | female (feminine) |
|---|---|
| brother | sister |
| nephew | niece |
| boyfriend | girlfriend |
| actor | actress |
| waiter | waitress |
| policeman | policewoman |
| prince | princess |
| widow | widower |
There are nouns which have the same form for masculine and feminine, e.g. cousin, doctor, singer, student, teacher. An extra word identifies the gender – boyfriend/girlfriend. The ending -ess indicates a female person – waiter/waitress.
2. Exceptions – Animals
People sometimes call animals he or she if they are thought of as having a personality. This is especially true for pets and domesticated animals.
- Where is the dog? He is in the garden.
3. Exceptions – Ships, cars, motorbikes
For cars, motorbikes and ships people often use she.
- How’s your car? – Oh she’s running beautifully.
- The ship hit a rock and she sank.