In English Grammar, Gender is classified into four categories.
- Masculine Gender
- Feminine Gender
- Common Gender
- Neuter Gender
Masculine Gender: Definition, Example
Definition
- Words that stand for males are Masculine Gender.
- A noun that denotes a male is known as the Masculine Gender.
Examples
Some examples of Masculine Gender :
Boy, Father, Son, King, Lion, He, Man, Husband, Uncle, etc
Feminine Gender: Definition, Example
Definition
- Words that stand for females are Feminine Gender.
- A noun that denotes a female is known as the Feminine Gender.
Examples
Some examples of Feminine Gender :
Girl, Mother, Daughter, Queen, Lioness, She, Woman, Wife, Aunt, etc.
Common Gender: Definition, Example
Definition
- Words that stand for both males and females are Common Gender.
- A noun that denotes either a male or a female is known as the Common Gender.
Example
Some examples of Common Gender :
Friend, Student, Doctor, Teacher, Child, Patient, Baby, etc.
Neuter Gender: Definition, Example
- Words that stand for things without life are Neuter Gender.
- A noun that denotes a non-living thing is known as the Neuter Gender.
Example
Some examples of Neuter Gender :
Pen, Book, Table, Chair, Bat, Gold, etc.
Rules of Changing Genders: Masculine and Feminine
There are some rules for changing Masculine Genders of Nouns into Feminine Genders.
Rule – 1 :
By using a different word :
Masculine can be changed into Feminine by using a different word.
| Masculine Gender | Feminine Gender |
| Boy | Girl |
| Brother | Sister |
| Father | Mother |
| Son | Daughter |
| Uncle | Aunt |
| King | Queen |
| Sir | Madam |
| Lord | Lady |
| Monk | Nun |
| Man | Woman |
| Male | Female |
| Husband | Wife |
| Nephew | Niece |
| Gentleman | Lady |
| Bull / Ox | Cow |
| Cock | Hen |
| Dog | Bitch |
| Stag | Hind |
| Drake | Duck |
| Drone | Bee |
| Buck | Doe |
| Horse | Mare |
| Gander | Goose |
| Ram | Ewe |
| Bachelor | Spinster |
| Lad | Lass |
| Bridegroom | Bride |
Rule – 2 :
By adding -‘ess’ :
Masculine can be changed into Feminine by adding ‘-ess’
| Masculine Gender | Feminine Gender |
| Author | Authoress |
| Poet | Poetess |
| Count | Countess |
| Host | Hostess |
| Prince | Princess |
| Baron | Baroness |
| Mayor | Mayoress |
| Lion | Lioness |
| Priest | Priestess |
| Patron | Patroness |
| Viscount | Viscountess |
| Prophet | Prophetess |
| Giant | Giantess |
| Shepherd | Shepherdess |
Rule – 3 :
Some Masculine Nouns end in “a vowel and r”. They can be changed into feminine gender by removing the vowel before the last letter, and then adding ‘-ess’.
| Masculine Gender | Feminine Gender |
| Actor | Actress |
| Tiger | Tigress |
| Instructor | Instructress |
| Hunter | Huntress |
| Director | Directress |
| Traitor | Traitress |
| Inspector | Inspectress |
| Songster | Songstress |
| Waiter | Waitress |
| Porter | Portress |
| Tempter | Temptress |
| Benefactor | Benefactress |
Exceptions :
| Masculine Gender | Feminine Gender |
| Governor | Governess |
| Abbot | Abbess |
| Emperor | Empress |
| Duke | Duchess |
Rule – 4 :
By changing the Masculine word of a Compound word :
The feminine form of a Compound word is made by changing the Masculine word of the Compound word.
| Masculine Gender | Feminine Gender |
| Boy-friend | Girl-friend |
| Son-in-law | Daughter-in-law |
| Father-in-law | Mother-in-law |
| Brother-in-law | Sister-in-law |
| Grandfather | Grandmother |
| Grandson | Granddaughter |
| Step-brother | Step-sister |
| Man-servant | Maid-servant |
| He-goat | She-goat |
| Bull-calf | Cow-calf |
| Cock-sparrow | Hen-sparrow |
| Landlord | Landlady |
| Peacock | Peahen |
Rule – 5 :
By adding ‘ine’, ‘a’, ‘ix’ :
Sometimes Feminine forms are made by adding ‘ine’, ‘a’, ‘ix’.
| Masculine Gender | Feminine Gender |
| Hero | Heroine |
| Sultan | Sultana |
| Executor | Executrix |
| Prosecutor | Prosecutrix |
| Czar | Czarina |
| Administrator | Administratrix |
Rule – 6 :
Masculine Gender is often applied to objects that are remarkable for strength or power.
For example,
“The Sun” is considered as an example of Masculine Gender.
Rule – 7 :
Feminine Gender is often applied to objects that are remarkable for beauty and gracefulness.
For example,
‘The Moon’, ‘The Earth’, ‘Nature’, etc. are examples of Feminine Gender.
Common Gender: Example
A noun that denotes either a male or a female is known as the Common Gender.
Some examples of Common Gender are as follows :
| Friend | Doctor |
| Baby | Teacher |
| Parent | Servant |
| Child | Pupil |
| Infant | Neighbour |
| Student | Police |
| Guest | Enemy |
| Thief | Colleague |
| Animal | Bird |
Neuter Gender: Example
A noun that denotes a thing without life is known as the Neuter Gender.
Some examples of Neuter Gender are as follows :
| Book | House |
| Pen | Pencil |
| Chair | Gold |
| Table | Stone |
| Room | Brick |
| School | Rock |
| Bed | Iron |
| Cup | Mountain |
| Silver | Shirt |
FAQs
What are the four types of gender in English grammar?
The four types of Gender are as follows :
- Masculine Gender
- Feminine Gender
- Common Gender
- Neuter Gender
What is the definition of Masculine gender?
A gender that denotes a male is known as the Masculine Gender.
For example,
Boy, Father, Tiger, Uncle, Husband, etc.
What is the definition of Feminine gender?
A gender that denotes a female is known as the Feminine Gender.
For example,
Girl, Mother, Tigress, Aunt, Wife, etc.
What is the masculine word of “lady”?
The Masculine word of “lady” is “Gentleman”.
What is the opposite word of “feminine”?
The opposite word of “feminine” is “Masculine”.
Is “she” a feminine gender?
Yes, “She” is a feminine gender. “She is a pronoun. The Masculine gender of “She” is “He”.
What is the feminine of “bull”?
The Feminine gender of “Bull” is “Cow”.
What is the feminine form of “uncle”?
The Feminine gender of “Uncle” is “Aunt”.
What is the masculine word for “bee”?
The Masculine gender of “Bee” is “Drone”.
What is the masculine word for “hen”?
The Masculine gender of “Hen” is “Cock”.
What is the masculine word for “goose”?
The Masculine gender of “Goose” is “Gander”.
What is the masculine word for “Duck”?
The Masculine gender of “Duck” is “Drake”.
What is the feminine gender of “Peacock”?
The Feminine gender of “Peacock” is “Peahen”.
What is the feminine gender of “tiger”?
The Feminine gender of “Tiger” is “Tigress”.
What is the feminine gender of “Host”?
The Feminine gender of “Host” is “Hostess”.
What is the feminine gender of “Actor”?
The Feminine gender of “Actor” is “Actress”.
What is the feminine gender of “Hunter”?
The Feminine gender of the Noun “Hunter” is “Huntress”.
What is the feminine gender of “Poet”?
The Feminine gender of the Noun “Poet” is “Poetess”.
What is the feminine gender of “Nephew”?
The Feminine gender of the Noun “Nephew” is “Niece”.
What is the feminine gender of “Hero”?
The Feminine gender of the Noun “Hero” is “Heroine”.