How to Say "gender" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “gender” is “género” — use 'género' when discussing the grammatical gender of nouns in Spanish or when referring to social gender identity..
género
Examples
En español, cada sustantivo tiene un género: masculino o femenino.
In Spanish, every noun has a gender: masculine or feminine.
sexo
/sek-so//ˈsekso/
Examples
En el formulario, por favor, indique su sexo.
On the form, please indicate your sex.
La bióloga estudia las diferencias entre los sexos en esa especie.
The biologist studies the differences between the sexes in that species.
El sexo del bebé todavía no es conocido.
The sex of the baby is not yet known.
Always a Masculine Noun
Even though 'sexo' can refer to females, the word itself is always 'masculine' in Spanish grammar. This just means you always say 'el sexo' or 'un sexo', never 'la sexo'.
'Sexo' vs. 'Género'
Mistake: “Using 'sexo' and 'género' as if they are always the same.”
Correction: While often used interchangeably on forms, 'sexo' usually refers to biological traits (male/female), while 'género' (gender) refers to social roles and identity. In everyday conversation, 'género' is more common for identity.
Formulario vs. Gramática
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