How to Say "female" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “female” is “mujer” — use 'mujer' when referring to a human female, equivalent to the English word 'woman'..
mujer
/moo-HER//muˈxeɾ/
Examples
Esa mujer es mi profesora de español.
That woman is my Spanish teacher.
Hay una mujer esperando en la puerta.
There is a woman waiting at the door.
La lucha por los derechos de la mujer es importante.
The fight for women's rights is important.
Always Feminine
The word 'mujer' is always a feminine noun. This means you always use 'la' for 'the' (la mujer) and 'una' for 'a' (una mujer).
Using the Wrong 'The'
Mistake: “El mujer es alta.”
Correction: La mujer es alta. Because 'mujer' is a feminine word, it needs the feminine article 'la' before it.
femenino
feh-meh-NEE-noh/fe.meˈni.no/
Examples
Ella tiene una voz muy suave y femenina.
She has a very soft and feminine voice.
Las hormonas femeninas son esenciales para su desarrollo.
Female hormones are essential for her development.
El equipo femenino ganó el campeonato.
The female team won the championship.
Adjective Agreement
As an adjective, 'femenino' must change to match the noun it describes. If the noun is plural and feminine, it becomes 'femeninas' (e.g., 'las voces femeninas').
hembra
EM-brah (like 'em' in 'ember' followed by 'brah')/ˈem.bɾa/
Examples
Esta leona es la hembra alfa de la manada.
This lioness is the alpha female of the pride.
Nació un cachorro macho y dos hembras.
One male puppy and two females were born.
Always Feminine
Even though it refers to animals, 'hembra' is always a feminine noun and takes feminine articles (la hembra, una hembra).
Confusing 'mujer' and 'hembra'
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