homo
/omo/from spelling rules
The Spanish word homo is a short form of the noun homosexual.
In a social context, homo is an abbreviation for homosexual. However, it is also used as a scientific proper noun to denote the genus of humans, such as in Homo sapiens. When referring to individuals attracted to the same sex, the formal and appropriate term is homosexual.
Meaning: short form of homosexual (noun)
Which one should you use?
While homo functions as an abbreviation for homosexual, the capitalized Homo is used in a scientific context to refer to the human genus.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In some parts of Latin America, the informal term pato is used to refer to individuals who identify as gay.
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a noun referring to a person, homo takes the masculine article el to indicate a male homosexual.
How do you pronounce it?
/omo/
Did you know?
- While 'homo' is a common shortening in English, using it in Spanish can be risky because it often carries a much stronger derogatory or pejorative weight than the English abbreviation. It is frequently perceived as a slur rather than a neutral shorthand.
- In certain LGBTQ+ communities in Spain, words like homo or marica have been reclaimed and are used affectionately among friends, similar to how 'queer' is used in English.
- In Spanish, the word homosexual is often used as an adjective rather than a noun, meaning people will say 'he is homosexual' instead of 'he is a homosexual'.
Examples in context
- El "Homo sapiens" simplemente se está comportando como una especie más sobre el planeta, no como la especie superior o excepcional que a menudo creemos o decimos ser."Homo sapiens" is simply behaving like one more species on the planet, not like the superior or exceptional species we often believe or say we are.This example shows the use of homo within the scientific name Homo sapiens.Tatoeba #12253731 by Seael, translation #12255689 by Miktsoanit
- La inmensa mayoría de las especies existente a lo largo de la historia biológica del planeta Tierra se han extinguido ya, no hay muchas razones para pensar que el "Homo sapiens" vaya a ser excepcional en este punto.The overwhelming majority of species that have existed throughout the biological history of planet Earth have already gone extinct, there aren't many reasons to believe "Homo sapiens" is going to be exceptional at this point.This sentence uses homo as part of the scientific genus name Homo sapiens.Tatoeba #12253734 by Seael, translation #12255688 by Miktsoanit
- ¿No te llegó la actualización de Homo Sapiens?Didn't you get the Homo Sapiens update?This example features the scientific term Homo sapiens.Tatoeba #11202781 by DJ_Saidez, translation #11203008 by DJ_Saidez
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Javier and Sofía are talking about a common acquaintance.
- JavierOye, ¿sabes si Marcos es homo?Hey, do you know if Marcos is gay?
- SofíaSí, él lo dijo hace tiempo.Yes, he said it a while ago.
- JavierNo lo sabía, me sorprende un poco.I didn't know, it surprises me a bit.
- SofíaNo debería sorprenderte, Javier.It shouldn't surprise you, Javier.
Sources
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
