How to Say "lesbian" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “lesbian” is “lesbiana” — use 'lesbiana' when referring to a woman who is attracted to other women, or an adjective describing something specifically related to lesbian women..
lesbiana
les-bee-AH-nah/lesˈbjana/
Examples
Mi hermana es lesbiana y se casó con su novia el año pasado.
My sister is a lesbian and married her girlfriend last year.
Se organizó una marcha del orgullo donde participaron muchas lesbianas.
A pride parade was organized where many lesbians participated.
Vimos una película lesbiana premiada en el festival.
We saw an award-winning lesbian film at the festival.
La cultura lesbiana tiene una historia muy rica.
Lesbian culture has a very rich history.
Gender Agreement
Since this word refers to a woman, it is always feminine. If you are describing a man attracted to men, you would use 'lesbiano' (masculine form) in some regional contexts, though 'gay' is more common.
Adjective Agreement
Like all Spanish adjectives, 'lesbiana' must match the noun it describes in number (singular/plural) and gender. E.g., 'historias lesbianas' (lesbian stories).
Using the Wrong Gender
Mistake: “Un libro lesbiano (if the book is about women)”
Correction: Un libro sobre la cultura lesbiana. The adjective describes the *culture*, not the book's grammatical gender.
lesbiana
les-bee-AH-nah/lesˈbjana/
Examples
Vimos una película lesbiana premiada en el festival.
We saw an award-winning lesbian film at the festival.
Mi hermana es lesbiana y se casó con su novia el año pasado.
My sister is a lesbian and married her girlfriend last year.
Se organizó una marcha del orgullo donde participaron muchas lesbianas.
A pride parade was organized where many lesbians participated.
La cultura lesbiana tiene una historia muy rica.
Lesbian culture has a very rich history.
Gender Agreement
Since this word refers to a woman, it is always feminine. If you are describing a man attracted to men, you would use 'lesbiano' (masculine form) in some regional contexts, though 'gay' is more common.
Adjective Agreement
Like all Spanish adjectives, 'lesbiana' must match the noun it describes in number (singular/plural) and gender. E.g., 'historias lesbianas' (lesbian stories).
Using the Wrong Gender
Mistake: “Un libro lesbiano (if the book is about women)”
Correction: Un libro sobre la cultura lesbiana. The adjective describes the *culture*, not the book's grammatical gender.
homosexual
oh-moh-sek-soo-AHL/omo.sekˈswal/
Examples
La pareja homosexual celebró su aniversario.
The homosexual couple celebrated their anniversary.
Existe mucha literatura homosexual moderna.
There is a lot of modern homosexual literature.
Adjective Form
This adjective is special because it does not change its ending based on gender. It is used for both masculine ('un hombre homosexual') and feminine ('una mujer homosexual') nouns. It only changes form when plural: 'homosexuales'.
Using 'homosexual' vs. 'lesbiana'
Related Translations
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