Spanish word

gay

Pronunciation

IPA/gaj/

Meaning

  • adjectivegay

Example

Mi primo es gay.

My cousin is gay.

Illustration for gay (gay)

More examples

Tengo un amigo gay que vive en mi barrio.

I have a gay friend who lives in my neighborhood.

Core concept

Sexual orientation toward the same sex.

Common phrases

  • ser gay

    be gay

  • amigo gay

    gay friend

  • novio gay

    gay boyfriend

Similar words

homosexual: Romantically or sexually attracted to people of the same sex; neutral, formal descriptor.
bisexual: Romantically or sexually attracted to people of more than one gender, typically men and women.
lesbiano: Romantically or sexually attracted to other women; specifically female same-sex orientation.
queer: Encompassing identities outside traditional gender or sexual-orientation categories; umbrella term.

Definition in Spanish

Se usa para describir a una persona cuya orientación sexual es hacia personas del mismo sexo.

Word origin

Taken into Spanish from English gay, itself derived from Old French gai 'cheerful', so the sexual-identity sense is a borrowing rather than a native Spanish formation.

Usage tips

  • Functionally an adjective in Spanish but also heard as a plural noun in colloquial use (los gays), so tone and placement influence formality.

Other meanings

  • homosexualnoun

Opposites

  • heterosexualheterosexualadjective

Word lists with this word