名词的性别

名词回答了「What is it?」和「Who is it?」等问句,赋予人丶事物和地点等名称。

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

一般在英文的名词当中,并不像有些其他语言会区分男性(阳性)或女性(阴性)。然而,在论及人或动物时,会经由不同形式或字词透露名词的性。

举例
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

有许多意指人的角色和工作的名词,没有性别之分;例如 cousin丶teenager丶teacher丶doctor丶student丶friend丶colleague 等。

举例
  • 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.

如果非得区分这些名词的性别,就在名词前加 male 或 female 即可。

举例
  • 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.

当描述的事物本身不具有性别(例如交通工具丶国家等),有时候人们会用性别代词来称呼,表达亲密和熟悉感。但要用中性代词 (it) 来称呼,当然也是正确的。

举例
  • 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.