das Weibchen
female
A female animal.
EXAMPLE
Das Weibchen des Amselpaares brütet die Eier allein aus.
The female of the blackbird pair incubates the eggs alone.
das Weibchen
female
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Meanings
das Weibchen
woman (derogatory)
An outdated term for a woman that is now perceived as derogatory.
EXAMPLE
In alten Romanen wird manchmal noch von einem „jungen Weibchen“ gesprochen, was heute unangebracht wäre.
In old novels, one sometimes still reads about a 'young Weibchen' (young woman), which would be inappropriate today.
Usage tips
Word structure and article
The word consists of 'Weib' (an old term for woman) and the diminutive form '-chen'. All nouns ending in '-chen' are neuter, so the article is always 'das'.
EXAMPLE
Das kleine Kätzchen ist ein Weibchen.
The little kitten is female.
Use for animals
In the context of animals, 'Weibchen' (female) is the neutral and correct term. It is used in both everyday language and biology without any negative meaning.
EXAMPLE
Bei vielen Vogelarten ist das Weibchen unauffälliger gefärbt.
In many bird species, the female is less strikingly colored.
Derogatory meaning
Using 'Weibchen' for a woman or girl is very outdated and is now perceived as condescending and insulting. This use should definitely be avoided.
EXAMPLE
Er nannte sie abfällig ein 'Weibchen', was alle im Raum schockierte.
He dismissively called her a 'Weibchen', which shocked everyone in the room.
Compare with
Weibchen vs Weib
woman / female
Both das Weib and das Weibchen can refer to a female animal. das Weib is a neutral technical term, while das Weibchen is also used in general language. Weib is therefore appropriate in a biological technical text, whereas Weibchen is usually used in everyday language.
Weibchen
Bei dieser Art ist das Weibchen deutlich größer als das Männchen.
In this species, the female is significantly larger than the male.
Weib
Bei dieser Art ist das Weib deutlich größer als das Männchen.
In this species, the female is significantly larger than the male.
In real life
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