mâle
/mal/
The French word for 'male' is mâle.
mâle is a noun used to refer to a human of masculine sex or gender. It is also used as an adjective to describe something belonging to the sex which typically produces sperm or has an external plug. When describing animals or plant species, mâle is the specific term used for their sex.
Meaning: human of masculine sex or gender (noun)
Which one should you use?
While mâle describes biological sex, it is different from other terms depending on the context. Use mâle to refer to the sex of animals or biological organisms, rather than using homme (man). To describe grammatical gender or qualities associated with masculinity, use masculin instead of mâle.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The adjective mâle is the same in both its masculine and feminine forms.
How do you pronounce it?
/mal/
Did you know?
- If you call a man a mâle in a social setting, you are likely insulting him by implying he is nothing more than a biological specimen or a brute.
- The word mâle is used for the 'male' end of a plug or connector in electronics, whereas the female end is femelle.
- The French word mâle comes from the Latin word masculus, which is the root for the English word 'masculine'.
Examples in context
- L'hippocampe mâle porte les œufs.The male seahorse carries the eggs.This sentence is useful for seeing mâle used to describe a seahorse.Tatoeba #9857110 by lbdx, translation #8985330 by mccarras
- Ce chien est-il un mâle ou une femelle?Is that dog male or female?This sentence is useful for asking about a dog's sex using mâle.Tatoeba #4585429 by dadidas, translation #68424 by CK
- Chez certaines espèces, la femelle domine le mâle.In some species of animals, the female is dominant over the male.This sentence is useful for seeing mâle used in the context of animal species.Tatoeba #4381323 by sacredceltic, translation #4378634 by patgfisher
- Un lion mâle est facilement identifiable par sa crinière imposante.A male lion can easily be identified by its impressive mane.
- Salut, mec ! Comment ça va ?Hey, dude! How are you?
- C'est un type vraiment sympa, ce François.This François guy is really nice.
- 21 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are observing animals at a zoo.
- HugoEst-ce que ce lion est un mâle ?Is this lion a male?
- LéaOui, c'est un mâle avec une grande crinière.Yes, it is a male with a large mane.
- HugoEt la lionne à côté est une femelle ?And the lioness next to him is a female?
- LéaExactement, elle est beaucoup plus petite que le mâle.Exactly, she is much smaller than the male.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry mâle, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mâle, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
