# How Do You Say "GAY" In Spanish? And Other Languages? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 20, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906 "2013-02-20T21:15:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/1 "2013-02-20T21:15:38Z")
I was wondering, to me at least, in English, homosexual seems too clinical and the everyday term “gay” is used as more familiar, with the other terms deemed offensive, (the s-word, f-word, q-word etc) I tried Google but I don’t speak Spanish, so I was thinking, gay might come out as “happy” on a translator? So how would you say the equivalent in Spanish. Also do other languages have similar “non-offensive” and “non-clinical” terms for gays? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/2 "2013-02-20T21:32:12Z")
In my experience, there is no word in Spanish which is both inoffensive and distinctly un-clinical-sounding. “Homosexual” is the word for both “homosexual” and “gay.” The English word “gay” is becoming more popular among Spanish speakers to express the latter connotation. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/3 "2013-02-20T21:37:05Z")
The word “gai” (meaning “happy” in French originally) seems to be gaining popularity among French speakers to mean the same as the English “gay” (homosexual.) ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2013, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/4 "2013-02-20T22:31:23Z")
In Japan, some people have adopted the English loan word “gay”, but it doesn’t get used much unless the context is very clear (i.e. talking about gay rights or a gay bar or something). This may be because there is a word that is pronounced exactly the same that means, roughly, “entertainment” (the “gei” in “geisha”). So if you use an expression that means “entertainer” it could, out of context, be taken to mean “gay person” instead. In my experience, “homo” is used more often, and doesn’t have the negative connotations that it has in English. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![Pitchmeister](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pitchmeister/32/3459_2.png) [@Pitchmeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pitchmeister)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/5 "2013-02-21T00:30:32Z")
In German, it’s “schwul”, it might be etymologically related to “schwül” (humid). However, it’s a term reserved for people with a penis, women cannot be “schwul” (although there’s a very popular German hip hop song called “Schwule Mädchen” - “gay girls”), they are instead called “lesbisch”. ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/6 "2013-02-21T00:49:40Z")
What’s the ‘s-word’? Swish? Suckcocker? ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/7 "2013-02-21T00:54:40Z")
Please be aware that in colloquial Spanish the offensive terms for homosexual are the way to insult a male. Tread carefully this can get you into tons of trouble. The list is incredibly long and varies by Country ie a non offensive word in Castillian can be incredibly offensive to someone from Mexico, my ex gf (Manchega via Madrid) called a little girl from Guatemala a “p\*ssy” by using a term for “cute little girl” **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/8 "2013-02-21T02:01:18Z")
Edit: Reread and saw that OP is looking for non-offensive terms. ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/9 "2013-02-21T02:12:30Z")
> [@Carryon](#): > > I was wondering, to me at least, in English, homosexual seems too clinical and the everyday term “gay” is used as more familiar, with the other terms deemed offensive, (the s-word, f-word, q-word etc) The s-word? ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/10 "2013-02-21T02:23:31Z")
As I recall, in Guatemala the slang was _mariposa_ (butterfly). In French, it’s _tapette_. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/11 "2013-02-21T03:21:07Z")
In Spanish from Spain, nowadays, the polite word is _gay_, and it has been around long enough to be pronounced as if it really was a Spanish word (_gái_ vs the original English pronunciation, which would be _géi_ in Spanish phonics). If you’re asking for the traditional words, there’s a ton but they tend to be offensive. Some of the acceptable words aren’t even nouns or adjectives: the verb _entender_ (lit. to understand) has come to mean “be LGBT(keep on adding letters)”. A coworker of mine was once told of a common acquaintance “oh, he understands” “… o…k…” “you don’t understand at all” “frankly honey, right now I don’t know up from down, but I’m hoping you’ll kindly explain” “😃 understand means that he walks down the other side of the road\*. Which you don’t, do you?” “oh! No, no, I’m old-fashioned that way. But I guess I now understand another meaning of understand!” - non-offensive equivalent for “bats for the other team” **Kirk** , what was the offensive term? _Mona_? _Rica_? _Muñequita_? People who’d like to avoid offense would like to know! ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/12 "2013-02-21T03:43:40Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > In Spanish from Spain, nowadays, the polite word is _gay_, and it has been around long enough to be pronounced as if it really was a Spanish word (_gái_ vs the original English pronunciation, which would be _géi_ in Spanish phonics). If you’re asking for the traditional words, there’s a ton but they tend to be offensive. Some of the acceptable words aren’t even nouns or adjectives: the verb _entender_ (lit. to understand) has come to mean “be LGBT(keep on adding letters)”. A coworker of mine was once told of a common acquaintance “oh, he understands” “… o…k…” “you don’t understand at all” “frankly honey, right now I don’t know up from down, but I’m hoping you’ll kindly explain” “😃 understand means that he walks down the other side of the road\*. Which you don’t, do you?” “oh! No, no, I’m old-fashioned that way. But I guess I now understand another meaning of understand!” > > - non-offensive equivalent for “bats for the other team” > > **Kirk** , what was the offensive term? _Mona_? _Rica_? _Muñequita_? People who’d like to avoid offense would like to know! I can’t remember. As I was posting I was racking my brain. Something like little loaf (pan) or flower, something like that but diminutive and feminine. She was from Vliianuevos de los Infantes and it could be specific to there. In Mexico and Central America, Castilliano is often perceived as “putting on airs”. It is a class thing. **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/13 "2013-02-21T03:45:35Z")
Villanueva de los Infantes and _castellano_ - if you spell it in Spanish, no capital. And no, those hints don’t tell me anything, so maybe it was regional. And _castellano_ is perceived as “putting on airs” only by people who don’t realize it really is your dialect. But then, those who actually speak it would think it was silly for others to copy it, too. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Kirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@Capt\_Kirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt_Kirk)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/14 "2013-02-21T04:02:00Z")
I really don’t know, sorry I cant be of more help. It was the kind of term that you would rub a little girls head with and say “you are so cute” but loaf? My Spanish is Spanglish at best. Just for you and you only because noone else will get it. My Novia introduced me to 80’s Spanish television. When my phone rings it says “Que Malo Que Soy” **Capt** ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/15 "2013-02-21T04:32:25Z")
The Welsh for “gay” is _hoyw_ (HOY-oo), pl. _howyon_ (HOY-won, with “won” as in “won-ton,” not as in “did win”). Italian is usually _gay_; there’s also _finocchio_ “fennel,” but I’m not sure how derogatory that is. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/16 "2013-02-21T05:49:27Z")
There was a famous drag show bar (not particularly gay, very much for tourists) in San Francisco (North Beach area? Not sure, never went) called Finocchio’s, and now I know why. (Probably North Beach, which has a large Italian area.) I’ve heard that in Taiwan young gay men are/were called glass boys, or something like that (in Chinese, of course, I have no idea what the actual words are). But that information comes from a documentary from some while back, so that may have changed. I don’t know if it was considered derogatory or not. Roddy ---
**Author:** ![BleizDu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@BleizDu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BleizDu)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 7:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/17 "2013-02-21T07:55:23Z")
In French it’s gay or gai. (or simply homo, sounds less clinical when shortened). Mostly used for men though. All the local words are offensive (pédé, tante, pédale, tapette, folle, être de la jaquette, gouine, camionneuse, gousse etc). ---
**Author:** ![Noone\_Special](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/noone_special/32/2863_2.png) [@Noone\_Special](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Noone_Special)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/18 "2013-02-21T08:16:39Z")
In Hebrew, it’s either “gay” (pronounces as in English; generally neutral or friendly) or “homo” (which can go all the way from slighty-to-the-accepting-side of neutral to **extremely** derogatory, depending on context.) “Gay” may be used for women (as well as “Lesbit,” Lesbian), without gender modification; “homo’it” (female homo) is sometimes, but (IME) rarely, used. Slightly less used is “Ge’eh”/“Ge’ah” (M/F respectively) – which is the Hebrew word for “Proud,” making it almost a natural choice, yet…; the form “Ga’ava” (pride) is very heavily used in the Hebrew phrases for the “Proud Community” and “Pride Parade” – but somehow almost not at all (in this straight person’s experience, maybe it’s used internally) to describe \*individual \*people. So - “(s)he belongs to the Proud Community” yes, “(s)he is Proud”, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/19 "2013-02-21T09:08:05Z")
In Hungarian, (one of) the slang word(s) is _meleg_, meaning “warm.” I didn’t get the sense that it was considered offensive, but I’m not a native speaker. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2013, 9:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906/20 "2013-02-21T09:20:05Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > The s-word? sissy? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-say-gay-in-spanish-and-other-languages/650906.md?page=2)