lesbian
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lesbian
Describes women who are emotionally and/or sexually attracted to other women.
Meine beste Freundin ist lesbisch und seit fünf Jahren in einer glücklichen Beziehung.
My best friend is lesbian and has been in a happy relationship for five years.
As an adjective, 'lesbisch' (lesbian) is usually used with the verb 'sein' (to be) to describe a person. The structure is simple: subject + sein + lesbisch.
Sie hat mir erzählt, dass sie lesbisch ist.
She told me that she is lesbian.
The adjective describes not only people, but also relationships, culture, or communities. Typical combinations are 'eine lesbische Beziehung' (a lesbian relationship), 'ein lesbisches Paar' (a lesbian couple), or 'die lesbische Community' (the lesbian community).
Der Film handelt von einem lesbischen Paar in den 1950er Jahren.
The film is about a lesbian couple in the 1950s.
'Lesbisch' (lesbian) is the neutral and generally accepted standard term. It is used in all contexts, from everyday language to official documents, and is considered respectful.
Die Beratungsstelle bietet Unterstützung für lesbische Frauen an.
The counseling center offers support for lesbian women.
gay
'schwul' and 'lesbisch' both describe same-sex orientation. The difference is mainly the gender of the person: 'schwul' is used for men who love men or are attracted to men. 'lesbisch' is used for women who love women or are attracted to women. Learners may confuse the words because they both belong to the same topic area. A simple guide is: 'ein schwuler Mann' (a gay man), 'eine lesbische Frau' (a lesbian woman).
Maria ist lesbisch und lebt mit ihrer Freundin zusammen.
Maria is lesbian and lives with her girlfriend.
Tom ist schwul und hat seinen Freund zur Feier mitgebracht.
Tom is gay and brought his boyfriend to the celebration.