género
/HEH-neh-roh/
gender
The word 'género' can refer to gender or social identity.
📝 In Action
En español, cada sustantivo tiene un género: masculino o femenino.
A1In Spanish, every naming word has a gender: masculine or feminine.
Estamos luchando por la igualdad de género.
B1We are fighting for gender equality.
💡 Grammar Points
Everything has a 'group'
In Spanish, even objects like chairs and tables belong to a 'gender' group (masculine or feminine). This tells you which 'the' (el/la) to use.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Confusing 'gender' with 'sex'
Mistake: "Using 'sexo' when you mean the grammatical category of a word."
Correction: Use 'género' for words and social identity; 'sexo' usually refers to biological characteristics.
⭐ Usage Tips
A general 'type'
You can use 'género' to mean 'kind' or 'type' in a broad sense, like 'un género de vida' (a way of life).
In an artistic context, 'género' translates to genre.
📝 In Action
La ciencia ficción es mi género cinematográfico preferido.
B1Science fiction is my favorite movie genre.
Ese escritor domina varios géneros literarios.
B2That writer masters several literary genres.
⭐ Usage Tips
Easy Cognate
This is a 'cognate,' which means it looks and sounds like the English word 'genre.' It's an easy win for your vocabulary!
In commerce, 'género' refers to goods or merchandise.
📝 In Action
El comerciante recibió ayer el nuevo género.
B2The merchant received the new goods yesterday.
Este vestido está hecho con un género muy suave.
C1This dress is made with a very soft fabric.
⭐ Usage Tips
Market Talk
If you are at a traditional market in Spain, you might hear sellers referring to their products as 'el género' to mean 'the stock' or 'the produce.'
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: género
Question 1 of 2
If you are talking about 'género literario,' what are you discussing?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Does 'género' always mean 'gender'?
No. While it often means gender (grammatical or social), it is also very common in the world of art (genre) and even in shopping (goods or fabric).
What is the difference between 'género' and 'tipo'?
'Tipo' is a very general word for 'type.' 'Género' is more formal and is usually used for specific categories like grammar, art, or commercial products.