fēmina
feminine
The English word woman is translated into Latin as fēmina or mulier.
Meaning: adult female person (noun)
Ways to say it
| Latin | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| fēmina | feminine | |
| mulier | [ˈmʊ.li.ɛr] (Classical Latin, narrow) [ˈmuː.li.er] (narrow) |
feminine |
Both terms refer to an adult female person, but they focus on different aspects of identity.
Which one should you use?
fēmina is the general term for a female person, often used to denote sex or biological gender. In contrast, mulier is more specifically used to refer to a woman in a social or marital context, often implying an adult woman.
How does it change in a sentence?
For the word mulier, the genitive singular form (meaning 'of a woman') is mulieris and the nominative plural form (meaning 'women') is mulierēs.
Did you know?
- Because fēmina is often used for biological sex, it is the root for many later Romance language words for 'female' used in scientific contexts.
Examples in context
- Quae est haec mulier?Who is this woman?This sentence shows how to use mulier to ask an identity question.Tatoeba #5194850 by alexmarcelo, translation #1461892 by CM
- Vōx fēminae senis est.It's the voice of an old woman.This sentence demonstrates the use of fēmina to describe a specific person.Tatoeba #1336460 by shekitten, translation #1125171 by Scott
- Ea est mulier quam amo.She is the woman I love.This sentence uses mulier to identify a person in an affectionate context.Tatoeba #11612570 by carlosalberto, translation #11612498 by carlosalberto
- Magistra, quamquam iuvenis es, es femina sapientissima.Teacher, although you are young, you are a very wise woman.
- Hic libellus est scriptus ab excellenti muliere Augusta.This book was written by an outstanding woman, Augusta.
- Matronae bonae et piae in hac urbe multae sunt.There are many good and virtuous women in this city.
- 65 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Aurelia and Quintus are discussing a visitor at the door.
- AureliaQuis ad ianuam est?Who is at the door?
- QuintusUna fēmina ad ianuam est.A woman is at the door.
- AureliaEstne fēmina amica tua?Is the woman your friend?
- QuintusIta, ea est amica mea.Yes, she is my friend.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “woman” translations and entries mulier, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mulier, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
