名詞的性别

名詞回答了「What is it?」和「Who is it?」等問句,賦予人、事物和地點等名稱。

舉例
  • dog
  • bicycle
  • Mary
  • girl
  • beauty
  • France
  • world

一般在英文的名詞當中,並不像有些其他語言會區分男性(陽性)或女性(陰性)。然而,在論及人或動物時,會經由不同形式或字詞透露名詞的性。

舉例
男性 女性 中性
man woman person
father mother parent
boy girl child
uncle aunt  
husband wife spouse
actor actress  
prince princess  
waiter waitress server
rooster hen chicken
stallion mare horse

有許多意指人的角色和工作的名詞,沒有性別之分;例如 cousin、teenager、teacher、doctor、student、friend、colleague 等。

舉例
  • Mary is my friend. She is a doctor.
  • Peter is my cousin. He is a doctor.
  • Arthur is my friend. He is a student.
  • Jane is my cousin. She is a student.

如果非得區分這些名詞的性別,就在名詞前加 male 或 female 即可。

舉例
  • Sam is a female doctor.
  • No, he is not my boyfriend, he is just a male friend.
  • I have three female cousins and two male cousins.

當描述的事物本身不具有性別(例如交通工具、國家等),有時候人們會用性別代名詞來稱呼,表達親密和熟悉感。但要用中性代名詞 (it) 來稱呼,當然也是正確的。

舉例
  • I love my car. She (the car) is my greatest passion.
  • France is popular with her (France's) neighbours at the moment.
  • I travelled from England to New York on the Queen Elizabeth; she (the Queen Elizabeth) is a great ship.