Translation guide
The English word "gender" can refer to grammatical gender, biological sex, or social gender identity. In Japanese, these are expressed with different terms, and the concept is often handled differently in everyday language.
Referring to noun classes in grammar (masculine, feminine, neuter).
Used in linguistics to mean grammatical gender. Often combined with other characters, e.g., 男性名詞 (masculine noun).
ドイツ語の名詞には三つの性があります。
German nouns have three genders.
Loanword from English, used in academic contexts for grammatical gender, but more commonly for social gender.
Referring to male or female sex of living beings.
The standard word for biological sex. Used on forms, in medical contexts, and in everyday conversation.
性別を教えてください。
Please tell me your gender/sex.
この書類には性別を記入する欄があります。
This form has a field to fill in your gender/sex.
Often used in compounds like 男性 (male) and 女性 (female). Alone, it can sound technical.
男性と女性の違いについて話しましょう。
Let's talk about the differences between males and females.
Referring to gender as a social or personal identity, distinct from biological sex.
The most common term for social gender, used in discussions of gender roles, identity, and equality.
ジェンダー平等は重要な問題です。
Gender equality is an important issue.
彼は自分のジェンダーについて悩んでいた。
He was struggling with his gender identity.
Formal term for gender identity, used in psychology and LGBTQ+ contexts.
Referring to the sex of animals.
Same as for humans, used for animals in general.
この犬の性別はオスですか、メスですか。
Is this dog's gender male or female?
A more technical term for male and female animals, often used in biology.
Asking someone's gender directly with 性別は何ですか can be too blunt. In casual conversation, it's often avoided or inferred from context. On forms, it's standard.
男性ですか、女性ですか？
Are you male or female? (Still direct, but slightly softer)
性別 (seibetsu) refers to biological sex, while ジェンダー (jendā) refers to social gender. In many contexts, 性別 is used for both, but ジェンダー is preferred when discussing social roles or identity.
性別を選択してください。
Please select your gender.
ジェンダーで職業が決まるべきではない。
Gender should not determine your career.
この言語には文法上のジェンダーがありません。
This language has no grammatical gender.
性自認は人それぞれです。
Gender identity varies from person to person.
Clinical term for gender identity, often used in medical or legal contexts.
性同一性障害という言葉は現在あまり使われません。
The term gender identity disorder is not used much nowadays.
It's difficult to tell the gender of this bird.