Inklingo

How to Say "male prostitute" in Spanish

English → Spanish

prostituto

/pro-stee-TOO-toh//pɾos.ti.ˈtu.to/

nounB1
Use 'prostituto' for a neutral, formal, or descriptive term when referring to a male sex worker, especially in news reports, legal contexts, or general conversation where a direct translation is needed.
A man in stylish clothing standing under a warm streetlight at night.

Examples

El informe policial mencionaba la detención de un prostituto en el centro.

The police report mentioned the arrest of a male prostitute downtown.

En la película, el protagonista trabaja como prostituto.

In the movie, the main character works as a male prostitute.

Muchos países tienen leyes diferentes para un prostituto y para una prostituta.

Many countries have different laws for a male prostitute and a female prostitute.

Él decidió ser prostituto para pagar sus deudas.

He decided to be a male prostitute to pay off his debts.

Specific Masculine Ending

The '-o' at the end specifically tells you that the person being talked about is a man. For a woman, you must change it to 'prostituta'.

Use of the word 'como'

When talking about a job or profession in Spanish, we often use 'como' (as) after verbs like 'trabajar' (to work). For example: 'Trabaja como prostituto'.

Matching Gender

Mistake: “La mujer es un prostituto.”

Correction: La mujer es una prostituta. Always match the gender ending (-o or -a) to the person you are describing.

puto

/POO-toh//ˈpu.to/

nounC2vulgar
While 'puto' can literally mean 'male prostitute,' it is overwhelmingly used as a highly offensive homophobic slur and is rarely employed in its literal sense. Use with extreme caution, if at all, as it is considered vulgar and insulting.
A person sitting alone on a park bench looking very sad and isolated.

Examples

Le gritaron insultos desde el coche, llamándole 'puto'.

They yelled insults at him from the car, calling him a 'faggot/male prostitute'.

Le gritaron insultos desde el coche.

They yelled slurs at him from the car.

Noun usage

When used as a noun with an article (el puto), it usually refers to a person and carries heavy negative weight.

Direct translation errors

Mistake: “Thinking it only means 'fucking' like in English.”

Correction: In many contexts, especially in Mexico, it is a hateful slur. Be extremely careful.

Confusing 'prostituto' with 'puto'

Learners often mistake 'puto' as a direct synonym for 'male prostitute' without realizing its primary use as a severe insult. Always opt for 'prostituto' unless you are specifically discussing the offensive nature of the word 'puto' or its use as a slur.

Related Translations

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