Inklingo

How to Say "male" in Spanish

English → Spanish

masculino

/mahs-koo-LEE-noh//maskuˈlino/

adjectiveA1
Use 'masculino' when referring to biological sex or physical characteristics, often in official contexts like signs or forms.
A high quality simple colorful storybook illustration of a man and a young boy walking together in a park.

Examples

El baño masculino está al final del pasillo.

The men's room is at the end of the hallway.

Tiene una voz muy masculina.

He has a very masculine voice.

En español, 'perro' es un nombre masculino.

In Spanish, 'perro' (dog) is a masculine noun.

The 'O' Ending

Most words describing things that are masculine end in 'o', like 'libro' or 'gato'.

Gender Matching

In Spanish, words like 'the' (el) and 'a' (un) must match the masculine word they are with.

Confusing Male and Masculine

Mistake:Thinking only living things can be 'masculino'.

Correction: In Spanish, even objects like 'teléfono' (phone) are 'masculino' simply because of how the word is built.

macho

/MAH-choh//ˈmatʃo/

nounA2
Use 'macho' specifically when referring to a male animal or plant, emphasizing its sex within a species.
A proud, colorful rooster standing prominently in a green field.

Examples

El león macho está a cargo de proteger la manada.

The male lion is in charge of protecting the pride.

Solo los árboles machos producen polen.

Only the male trees produce pollen.

varón

nounB1formal
Use 'varón' when referring to a person's sex or gender, especially in formal situations, official documents, or when stating the sex of a newborn.

Examples

El recién nacido fue un varón de tres kilos.

The newborn was a male weighing three kilograms.

Confusing 'masculino' and 'varón'

Learners often confuse 'masculino' and 'varón' because both can refer to human males. Remember that 'masculino' is an adjective describing characteristics (like a 'masculine' bathroom), while 'varón' is a noun specifically for a male person, often used on forms or when announcing a baby's sex.

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