Question
Actualizado en
24 may 2017
- Japonés
-
Inglés (UK)
-
Italiano
Pregunta de Inglés (UK)
How do you refer to someone's pet dog if you don't know if he/she is a boy or a girl? For example, can you say "How old is he?" even if you don't know if the dog is indeed a boy?
Also, what is the most polite way of asking a gender of someone's pet dog?
Thank you!
How do you refer to someone's pet dog if you don't know if he/she is a boy or a girl? For example, can you say "How old is he?" even if you don't know if the dog is indeed a boy?
Also, what is the most polite way of asking a gender of someone's pet dog?
Thank you!
Also, what is the most polite way of asking a gender of someone's pet dog?
Thank you!
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- Portugués (Portugal)
I think they refer to them as "it" and after knowing it's gender you either use he or she. I'm guessing the most common way to make that question is to just simply ask: Is it a boy or a girl?
I don't think anyone will be offended by how you ask the pet's gender
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- Inglés (UK)
'How old is your dog?'
'Your dog is adorable, is it a boy or a girl?'
Very formal would be 'May I ask, is your dog male or female?'
In fairness, when talking about pets, there is usually little need for formal grammar. People like to be asked about their pets. It's a conversation starter.
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- Portugués (Portugal)
- Inglés (UK)
- Inglés (UK)
Well, it's considered rude to refer to people (and sometimes pets) as 'it', and while this doesn't matter as much for wild animals, people might take offence if you refer to their beloved dog as an 'it'. We don't have a gender-neutral word to refer to living things though...
In recent years, some people have started using the term 'they' as a gender-neutral term, even in the singular. Other than that, asking "Is it a girl or a boy?" isn't considered rude. You can also guess and ask "How old is he?", and the owner will simply correct you and say "It's a girl, and she's 2 years old."
Now that's a dog- imagine when you're dealing with someone's baby! People get into awkward situations and this is actually a common theme in comedy skits!
UPDATE: Just to clarify on why it's rude- 'it' refers to objects so when you call a living being 'it', you liken it to an inanimate object, like a pencil or a hat.
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- Inglés (UK)
- Japonés
- Japonés
- Japonés
@clayxa Thank you very much!! That was my concern. I thought people might get offended when I refer to their dog as "it".
I remember my mom told me that someone said "What a gorgeous boy!" looking at me when I was a baby even though I'm a girl :")
I remember my mom told me that someone said "What a gorgeous boy!" looking at me when I was a baby even though I'm a girl :")
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