Photo: Kevin Malik

What language has no gender?

There are some languages that have no gender! Hungarian, Estonian, Finnish, and many other languages don't categorize any nouns as feminine or masculine and use the same word for he or she in regards to humans.

memrise.com - What if You're Gender Fluid but Your Language Isn't? - Memrise

What attracts a man to a woman?

Outside of sexuality, many different things also play into romantic attraction. Personality, how one carries themselves, and facial attractiveness...

Last updated Aug 23, 2018

How does a girl feel after her first kiss?

"Your biological stress system is actually activated when you have your first kiss," Seiter says. "But, this doesn't mean you're stressed out....

Last updated Oct 12, 2020

Do you really know who the “One” is? Your true Soulmate?

Promotion

Language isn’t just what we use to communicate with other people, it’s also a tool we use to signify meaning and express how we see other people and ourselves. We validate ourselves by the words we use to describe who we are and how we feel in our own language, otherwise we may feel our true self is not validated or expressed. So what happens if there just isn’t a way in your language to talk about your gender identity? If you’ve spoken English your entire life, it’s hard to imagine a scenario like that. But that’s the reality for many people who are non-binary or gender non-conforming who don’t have a neutral grammatical category.

Gender in Different Languages

There are some languages that have no gender! Hungarian, Estonian, Finnish, and many other languages don’t categorize any nouns as feminine or masculine and use the same word for he or she in regards to humans. In spoken Mandarin, there is also no distinction between the “she” or “he”. However, written Mandarin does and “she” is written 她, whereas “he” is written 他 even though they’re both pronounced “tā” (you know, just to make things complicated ) One way around this is to use the phonetic representation of the form so that there is not a gendered character. For example, writing ‘ta’ instead of using the Chinese script. There are also other languages that have found a solution! In English, we can use ‘they/them’ or other gender-neutral pronouns, like ‘ze’, ‘hir’ or ‘xey’, in order to avoid gendering someone. Similarly, in Swedish, the word hen was added in 2015 to the country’s official dictionary as an alternative gender-neutral pronoun to the male hon and female han. A hen revolution!

Spanish, German and French?

But what about gendered languages (such as Spanish, German, French etc), in which both pun in French— “She is a lovely table!”— while a tree is a masculine noun in German. “I planted him in the forest, where he will grow very tall!” Well, there are some creative solutions that have been found. In Spanish some people will use a third category of elle/elles that uses an e instead of an o/a to mark gender. Ahhh Clever! Other alternatives include using the @, for example l@s niñ@s simpátic@s, or using an x, lxs niñxs simpáticxs. However, these haven’t been widely adopted and have been widely opposed by both the Royal Academy and many Spanish speakers. This is even more difficult in Semitic languages such as Hebrew as not only are the nouns and adjectives gendered, but the verbs and numbers too! There are 8 different ways you could say ‘I am listening to you’ in Hebrew all distinct by gender Whilst some solutions have been suggested, such as using a mixture of the masculine and feminine forms, it hasn’t quite caught on and has not been popular. Yet.

Keep Evolving!

When the language you speak doesn’t reflect your identity, it can be very frustrating. Fortunately, language is dynamic and evolving and many have been using creative ways to adapt it to reflect our ever-changing reality. We can find and use inclusive grammatical forms and in this way, we can make sure that it evolves in a way that reflects everyone’s identity. But at the end of the day, it’s all a question of respect. Refer to someone how they wanted to be referred to, and if you’re not sure what pronouns or Hebrew verb forms to use with someone, don’t be afraid to ask.

Which zodiac signs are good at dancing?

In addition, these good zodiac dancers are naturally graceful and convey a lot of information through their motions. ... PISCES. Undoubtedly,...

Last updated Oct 16, 2022

Why does he look into my eyes intensely?

When a guy stares into your eyes and doesn't look away, he may be trying to size you up. Intently staring can be a good thing and might mean that...

Last updated Apr 16, 2022

Promotion

Do attractive people have better lives?

According to science, people who are perceived as attractive are more likely to get hired for jobs and seem trustworthy. They are also thought to be healthier and lead a happier life.

insider.com - 10 Benefits of Being Attractive, According to Science - Insider

It turns out, being conventionally beautiful has its benefits.

According to science, people who are perceived as attractive are more likely to get hired for jobs and seem trustworthy.

They are also thought to be healthier and lead a happier life.

Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Loading Something is loading. Thanks for signing up! Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy It's no secret that people who are conventionally attractive generally make for more desirable romantic partners. No matter your individual preferences, you're probably more likely to have a crush on your good-looking neighbor than on someone you don't find physically alluring. But there may actually be perks to being seen as pretty that extend beyond the dating scene. Here are a few benefits to being beautiful that are backed up by science.

Does first relationship last after divorce?

The researcher interviewed 264 people in their post-breakup period. Her first relationship after divorce statistics showed that 93% of those were...

Last updated Apr 18, 2019

Why do breakups hit guys later?

Men may sometimes blame others more and not fully accept their own shortcomings. Studies have found that men tend to deny their mistakes, minimize...

Last updated Jul 29, 2021

Promotion

How do you know if someone is fated to you?

7 Signs You And Your Partner Were Destined To Fall In Love They're In Your Life Right Now. ... Your Relationship Is Helping You Grow. ... People...

Last updated Mar 11, 2022

Promotion

Do your eyes change when you're in love?

For starters, oxytocin and dopamine — the “love hormones” — have an effect on pupil size. Your brain gets a boost of these chemicals when you're...

Last updated Nov 25, 2022