non binaire
The English phrase "no gender" is translated into French as non binaire.
non binaire is used to describe a person who does not identify as exclusively male or female.
How does it change in a sentence?
The gender-neutral pronoun iel is often used in conjunction with the phrase non binaire to refer to a person in the third person.
Did you know?
- In formal French, adjectives must agree with the gender of the noun. A non binaire person may use 'inclusive writing' by adding a dot, such as heureux·se, to include both masculine and feminine endings in one word.
- The Académie Française, the official authority on the French language, has historically resisted the official recognition of iel and terms like non binaire in the dictionary.
- The pronoun iel, often used by non binaire people, is a portmanteau of il ('he') and elle ('she'). It was created to bypass the grammatical requirement that every noun in French must be masculine or feminine.
Examples in context
- Le médecinThe doctor
- Un enseignantA teacher
- Un/Une colocataireA roommate
- Cette personne est non binaire.This person is non-binary.
- Je me considère comme non binaire.I consider myself to be non-binary.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing gender identity at a cafe.
- ManonEst-ce que ton nouvel ami est non binaire ?Is your new friend non-binary?
- HugoOui, il se présente comme non binaire.Yes, he presents as non-binary.
- ManonJe comprends mieux pourquoi il utilise ces pronoms.I understand better now why he uses those pronouns.
- HugoC'est tout à fait naturel pour lui.It is completely natural for him.
