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List of terms for gay in different languages

This is a list of terms which are widely used today to refer to "gay" in different languages and which derive from concepts unrelated to homosexuality (e.g. the words "gay" or "pederast") or its common stereotypes. Their original meanings are also given.

Language	Term	Literal meaning	Style
Afrikaans	moffie	diminutive	derogatory
Arabic	لوطي (lūŧī)	of Lot's people; Sodomite	derogatory (religious)
Arabic	مثلي (miθli)	of the same	neutral
Arabic	منحرف (munħaraf)	queer/out of line	slightly derogatory
Arabic	شاذ (shað)	weird, queer, pervert	neutral
Arabic	خول (khawal)	gay	highly derogatory (Egypt)
Armenian	միասեռամոլ (miaseramol)	homosexual	neutral
Bangla	Somo-kaami, gay, queer, homo(homo)	homo(sexual), gay	neutral
Bulgarian	хомо (homo)	homo(sexual)	slightly derogatory
Bulgarian	педал (pedal)	pedal	derogatory
Chinese (Cantonese)	基佬 (gēi-lóu)	'basic' man (the Chinese character 基 (basic, pronounced: gēi) is phonetically similar to 'gay')	slightly derogatory
Chinese (Mandarin)	同性恋 (tóngxìnglián)	same-sex love/yearning	neutral (technical; equivalent to English "homosexual")
Chinese (Mandarin)	同志 (tóngzhì)	comrade	neutral (informal; equivalent to English "gay"); a pun on Communist usage of the word
Chinese (Mandarin)	玻璃 (bōlī)	glass, crystal	derogatory
Czech	teplouš	warm	slightly derogatory
Czech	buzna/buzerant	faggot	derogatory
Czech	bukvice	beechnut	slightly derogatory
Danish	bæskubber	feces-pusher	derogatory; used for men
Danish	bøsse	gun	neutral; used for men
Danish	lebbe	?	neutral or slightly derogatory; used for women
Danish	svans	tail	derogatory; used for men
Dutch	nicht	niece	derogatory
Dutch	poot	paw	derogatory
Dutch	flikker	slang for "penis"	highly derogatory
Dutch	mietje	diminutive of girl's given name, "little Mie"	slightly derogatory
Dutch	pot	pot (for lesbians)	derogatory
Dutch	tapet	from French "tapette": fly swatter (Flemish only)	derogatory
English	gay	joyous, cheery, bright, lively	neutral
English	queer	strange	slightly derogatory or neutral
English	poofter (or poofta)	an openly homosexual man	derogatory
English	faggot, fag	bundle of sticks or branches, see faggot (wood)	derogatory
English	fruit	fruit	slightly derogatory
English	fairy	fairy	slightly more derogatory
English	bufftie	?	derogatory (Scotland)
English	dyke	?	derogatory; used for women
English	puff (or poof)	?	derogatory
English	queen	queen	derogatory; used for men
English	fudge-packer	fudge-packer	derogatory; used for men
Esperanto	geja	gay (cf. gaja = joyous, cheery, bright, lively)	neutral
Esperanto	samseksema	tending to the same sex	neutral
Finnish	hintti, hinttari	?	derogatory
Finnish	hinuri	tower (as in a person who tows)	derogatory
Finnish	lepakko	bat (the animal)	slightly derogatory; used for lesbians
Finnish	ruskean reiän ritari	knight of the brown hole	highly derogatory
Finnish	homo	short of "homosexual"	neutral
French	folle	feminine of "fou"	derogatory
French	tante, tata	aunt, auntie	slightly derogatory
French	tantouze	augmentative of "tante"	derogatory
French	tapette	flyswatter	derogatory
French	pédé	pederast attractive lad	derogatory
French	gouine	"lesbienne" or dyke	derogatory
French	il en est	he's one of them	slightly derogatory
French (Quebec)	fifi, fif	stereotypical name for a poodle	derogatory
French (Quebec)	grande	same meaning as "folle"	derogatory
French (Quebec)	gai	gay	neutral
German	Schwanzlutscher	cocksucker	highly derogatory
German	schwul	warm, hot (cf. schwül which means warm and moist weather)	neutral, formerly derogatory
German	Schwuchtel	mock feminine of schwul	derogatory
German	schwule Sau	lit. gay sow	highly derogatory
German	Schwuppe	Schwuler in northern Germany	neutral
German	Tunte	(cf. "Tante" = aunt) used for effeminate men	slightly derogatory
German	warmer Bruder	lit. warm brother	slightly derogatory, anachronism
German	175er	see Paragraph 175	archaic, neutral, or slightly derogatory
Greek	αδερφή (adherfí)	sissy	derogatory
Greek	αρσενοκοίτης (arsenokítis)	man who lies down with men	derogatory, religious
Greek	κίναιδος (kínedhos)	shame-mover	archaic, derogatory
Greek	κουνιστός (kunistós)	moving	derogatory for effeminate men
Greek	λούγκρα (lúgra)	gluttonous woman	derogatory for men
Greek	μπινές (binés)	[from Turkish "ibne"]	derogatory for men
Greek	ντιγκιντάγκας (digidángas)	making ding-dang sounds	derogatory for men
Greek	ξεφωνημένη (ksefoniméni)	screaming woman	derogatory for effeminate men
Greek	πισωγλέντης (pisoghléntis)	enjoys it from the back	derogatory for men
Greek	πούστης (poústis)	faggot	derogatory
Greek	συκιά (sikiá)	fig-tree	slightly derogatory
Greek	σαπφίδα (sapfídha)	Sappho fan	positive or neutral, literary
Greek	τζιβιτζιλού (dzividzilú)	[gay slang for lesbians]	slightly derogatory
Greek	τοιούτος (tiútos)	of that kind	old-fashioned, neutral
Greek	τριβάδα (trivádha)	rubber	archaic, derogatory for women
Haitian	masisi	?	?
Haitian	sis kouler	six colors (reference to rainbow)	?
Hawaiian	māhū	homosexual	derogatory
Hebrew	גאה (m: ge'e, f: ge'a)	proud	neutral (positive)
Hebrew	הומו (homo)	homo(sexual)	neutral
Hebrew	עליז (aliz)	gay, happy, joyful	neutral, anachronism
Hebrew	קומקום (koomkoom)	kettle, water boiler	derogatory
Hungarian	buzi	sodomite (from German Buserant, originating indirectly from "Bulgarian" as "heretic")	derogatory
Hungarian	homokos	sandy	derogatory
Hungarian	köcsög	jug, pitcher	derogatory
Hungarian	meleg	warm	neutral, PC
Interlingua	gay	English loanword	neutral
Inuktitut	ᐊᖑᑕᐅᖃᑎᒥᓂᒃᑐᖅᑎᓘᓐᓃᑦ (angutauqatiminiktuqtiluunniit)	gay/male prostitute	derogatory
Inuktitut	ᐊᕐᓇᐅᖃᑎᒥᓂᒃᑐᖅᑎᓘᓐᓃᑦ (arnauqatiminiktuqtiluunniit)	lesbian/female prostitute	derogatory
Inuktitut	ᐊᓪᓚᑦ (allat)	strangers	derogatory
Inuktitut	ᐊᕐᓈᓗᒃ (arnaaluk)	bitch	derogatory
Inuktitut	ᐊᖑᑕᐅᖃᑎᒥᓂᒡᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐊᕐᓇᐅᖃᑎᒥᓂᒡᓘᓐᓃᑦ ᐃᒃᖠᒍᓱᒃᑐᖅ (angutauqatiminigluunniit arnauqatiminigluuniit ikłigusuktuq)	"homosexual" (literally 'male-male and female-female who has a craves or lust)	neutral
Inuktitut	ᒐᐃ (gai)	loanword "gay"	neutral
Inuktitut	ᓖᓱᐱᐊᓐ(liisupian)	loanword "lesbian"	neutral
Irish	aerach	airy as "gay" (loan-translation from English)	neutral
Irish	piteog	Effeminate man	neutral or derogatory depending on usage
Italian	finocchio	fennel (a herb)	derogatory
Italian	frocio	old term for the Swiss Pope guards in Rome	derogatory
Italian	culattone	fat ass	derogatory
Italian	ricchione	faggot	derogatory
Japanese	同性愛者(dōseiaisha)	homosexual person	neutral
Japanese	ゲイ(gei)	"gay"	neutral; used for men
Japanese	ホモ(homo)	"homo(sexual)"	derogatory; used for men
Japanese	ネコ (neko)	cat	slightly derogatory; used for effeminate men
Japanese	おかま, オカマ, お釜 (okama)	cooking pot (originally a slang word for ass)	derogatory; used for men
Japanese	おなべ (onabe)	pot	derogatory; used for lesbians
Japanese	レズ (rezu)	abbreviation of "レズビアン(rezubian)"	slightly derogatory; used for women
Japanese	レズビアン (rezubian)	"lesbian"	neutral; used for women
Kalaallisut	angutinoortoq	gay	derogatory
Kalaallisut	homoq	loanword "homosexual"	neutral
Kalaallisut	arnanoortoq	lesbian	neutral
Kalaallisut	liisupeq/liisbeq	loanword "lesbian"	neutral
Korean	동성애자(dongseongaeja)	homosexual person	neutral
Korean	게이(ge-i)	from English gay	neutral or slight derogatory; used for men
Korean	호모(homo)	from homosexual	derogatory; used for men only
Korean	이반(ee-ban)	the second common	neutral(positive or PC)
Lithuanian	gėjus	gay	neutral, male
Lithuanian	gaidys	rooster, also used for lowest caste of prisoners	derogatory
Lithuanian	pydaras, pyderastas	pederast	derogatory
Lithuanian	žydras(is)	the baby-blue one	neutral or slightly derogatory
Luxembourgish	lénks	left	neutral or derogatory
Luxembourgish	tatta	aunty	derogatory; used for effeminate men
Macedonian	пешкир (peškir)	towel	derogatory
Malay	manya	drag queen	slightly derogatory
Norwegian	rompis	play on the Norwegian word for comrade "kompis", rompis it therefore a friend of the ass	derogatory; used for men
Norwegian	skeiv	crooked, as in not straight	neutral
Norwegian	traktorlesbe	Tractor lesbian, often referring to butch woman wearing manly workingclothes	derogatory; used for lesbians
Norwegian	homse	slang derived from "homo"	neutral; used for men
Norwegian	skinkerytter	"ham-rider", straightforwardly someone who engages in anal sex	derogatory; used for men
Norwegian	bæsjdytter	"poop-shover", straightforwardly someone who engages in anal sex	derogatory; used for men
Norwegian	bønnebryter	"bean-breaker", straightforwardly someone who engages in anal sex	derogatory; used for men
Polish	gej	gay	neutral
Polish	pedał	pedal	derogatory
Polish	homoś	a homo	derogatory
Polish	kochający inaczej	the one who loves in a different way	slightly derogatory
Polish	ciota	aunt (augmentative)	derogatory
Polish	pedzio	diminutive av pedal	derogatory
Polish	pederasta	pederast - assfucker	derogatory
Portuguese	(rapaz/garoto) alegre, alegrete, alegrinho, gaiato, Gaius	gay lad, merry boy	somewhat neutral, jocose
Portuguese	almofadinha	a dandy, pansy, sissy	slightly derogatory
Portuguese	amante socrático	Socratic lover	neutral, jocose
Portuguese	baitola	fag, from the British pronuntiation of "bitola", a tool used in the construction of Northeastern railways in the 19th century	derogatory
Portuguese	Bambi	Disney's character, deer = gay, a twinky bottom	slightly derogatory, jocose
Portuguese	Barbie-Ken; rato-de-academia; bofe-Barbie	big muscles gay, gay gym rat	slightly derogatory, jocose
Portuguese	biba, bibinha, bibete	queer, camp, hoity-toity	slightly derogatory, somewhat neutral
Portuguese	bicha, bichete, bichinha	a mammal's female, fag	derogatory
Portuguese	bicha-louka, bicha-afetada, bate-cabelo, bichona, biba-doida, insanamente-biba, bicha metida aparecida, plus-afetadão, afetado-demais, effeminatus, epiceno	affected, insanely queer/camp, effeminate, epicene	derogatory
Portuguese	bofe, bofão, bofiscândalo, sem-camisa	Butch, buffy butch, scandalously butch hunk, shirtlifter	somewhat neutral
Portuguese	boiola	used to designate delicate little boys, young lads working in theatrical sketches and musicals in the late 19th and early 20th century	derogatory (Brazil)
Portuguese	calipígeo, Vênus calipígea	callipygian, callipygous, ass queen	derogatory
Portuguese	caminhoneira / truck dyke	truck dyke	slightly derogatory, somewhat neutral
Portuguese	do babado	from the scene, queer, camp	slightly derogatory, somewhat neutral, jocose
Portuguese	(sub)entendido	implied, the understood one	slightly derogatory, somewhat neutral
Portuguese	efebo, ephebus, efebinho / twinky	ephebe, from Ancient Rome and Greece, a twinky, diminutive of ephebus = a twinky bottom	somewhat neutral
Portuguese	enrustido, retranca, caso-de-closet, não-sai-do-armário, tá-no-armário	closet case, closet queen	derogatory
Portuguese	florzinha / violetinha / fadinha	little flower, pansy, sissy, camp, fairy	slightly derogatory
Portuguese	fresco, frescurite, fresquinho, afrescalhado	(fresh, cool) a dandy, pansy, sissy	slightly derogatory
Portuguese	frouxo, frouxinho	pussy, weak	slightly derogatory
Portuguese	frutinha, fruta	little fruit or fruit, camp	slightly derogatory
Portuguese	gay, gayzinho	gay	neutral
Portuguese	gilete / corta dos dois lados / ambivalente / bi	bisexual, bi-curious, double-edge blade, literally	slightly neutral
Portuguese	heteroflexível	heteroflexible, bi-curious	neutral
Portuguese	homo	homo	neutral
Portuguese	invertido / détour / desviado / parafílico	inverted / deviated / paraphiliac	derogatory, old-fashioned
Portuguese	lésbica, safista, sapho, tríbade	lesbian, sapphist, tribade	neutral
Portuguese	lésbica baton & rímel, femme, femina, sapatinha mini saia, sandalinha	femme, lipstick lesbian	slightly derogatory, jocose
Portuguese	lésBicha	LezFaggian, an effeminate gay guy who get to know straight sex	jocose
Portuguese	mariquinha(s), marica(s)	pussy, pansy; from Ancient Greek "Marikas", an Eupolis comedy	derogatory
Portuguese	michê, michet	male hooker, hustler	derogatory
Portuguese	morde-fronha	literally translated "pillowcase biter", a bottom, passive role	derogatory
Portuguese	moto-lesbo, motor-lésbica	dyke on byke	neutral, jocose
Portuguese	paneleiro	vendor of pots and pans	highly derogatory (Portugal)
Portuguese	pédé, pedê / pederasta, paiderastes	attractive pederast lad and a sugar daddy, boy lover	neutral or derogatory
Portuguese	popozete, cuzin, bundinha, bumbunzin, retaguarda, traseirinha, derrière	derived from popo/cu/bunda/bumbum, meaning "tooshie/asshole/butt, bum/booty/rear"	derogatory
Portuguese	rabeta, rabete, rabicó	the one who likes (or has) buttocks/tail	derogatory (Portugal)
Portuguese	roto	torn	derogatory (Portugal)
Portuguese	queima-rosca	the one who has anal sex, a bottom, passive role, literally translated "doughnut burner"	derogatory
Portuguese	sapatão, sapatona, numero 43, bico largo 42, botinão, mulé-macho, machona, virago	dyke, virago, literally translated "huge manly shoes / manly boots"	derogatory
Portuguese	sodomita	sodomite	derogatory, old-fashioned
Portuguese	sugador, sorvedouro / xupa-rola / engole-cacete, engole-pica / engolidor / lambe-bola, lambe-saco / chupador, chupeteiro, chupão / sentador / levanta-camisa / boqueteiro, cai-de-boca	cocksucker / swallower / balllicker / cockseater / shirtlifter / a header slag, from boquete = blowjob	derogatory
Portuguese	totalflex / carru hybridu	from hybrid car, bisexual or a versatile gay person	jocose, somewhat neutral
Portuguese	travesti, traveku, boneca, mona, quase-mulher, transex, transgênero, mademoiselle-garçon, imitador do bellu sexu, Tgirl	transvestite, tranny, shemale, Ladyboy, Tgirl	jocose, somewhat neutral
Portuguese	uranista	uranist	neutral or derogatory
Portuguese	veado, veadinho	deer, little deer = a twinky bottom	neutral or derogatory (Brazil)
Portuguese	velcro, grudar/colar velcro; bate-bolacha, bate-biscoito; tesourinhas	tribbing; "hook-and-loop fasteners sexgame"; "scissor sisters", tribadism, "mashing cookies"	slightly derogatory, somewhat neutral, jocose
Romanian	bulangiu	from "bulan", police stick. Bulangiu also means "one that does not hold his part of a deal", and is more likely to be used with this meaning	derogatory
Romanian	poponar	derived from popou, meaning "tooshie"	highly derogatory
Romanian	curist	derived from cur, meaning "ass"	derogatory
Romanian	găozar	derived from găoază/găoz, meaning "ass hole"	derogatory
Romanian	pe invers (adj.)	Adjective meaning "on reverse"	somewhat neutral
Russian	пидор, пидарас, педик (pidor, pidaras, pedik)	pederast	derogatory
Russian	гей	gay	neutral
Russian	голубой (goluboy)	light blue	neutral
Russian	гомик (gomik)	derived from homo	derogatory
Serbian	peder	gay - word derived from pederast	derogatory
Serbian	homo	homosexual	derogatory
Serbian	buljaš	butty boy	derogatory
Serbian	peškir	towel	derogatory
Serbian	gej	gay	neutral
Slovak	buzerant/buzík	faggot	derogatory
Slovak	gej	gay	neutral
Slovak	homoš	homo	derogatory
Slovak	štvorpercentný	four-percent	neutral
Slovak	teploš	fagot	derogatory
Slovak	teplý	warm	slightly derogatory
Slovene	toplovodar	anachronistic, literally "warm-water person"	derogatory
Spanish	marica, mariquita, maricón	alteration of "Mary"	derogatory
Spanish	sarasa	bad-life-woman	derogatory
Spanish	bujarrón	sodomite	derogatory
Spanish	loca, locaza	feminine form of crazy	derogatory
Spanish	mariposón	big butterfly	derogatory (Mexico)
Spanish	muerdealmohadas	'pillow-biter'	derogatory
Spanish	jamaicón	from Jamaica	derogatory
Spanish	afrancesado	As a french person	neutral (Argentina)
Spanish	puñal	dagger	highly derogatory (Mexico)
Spanish	puto	male prostitute	highly derogatory (Latin America)
Spanish	joto	from the Jack on the card decks, named "joto", "la jota" in mexican Spanish	highly derogatory (Mexico)
Spanish	de ambiente	from the scene	neutral
Spanish	entendido	the understood one	neutral
Spanish	pato	duck	derogatory (Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela)
Spanish	plumifero	'with feathers'	derogatory (Puerto Rico)
Spanish	cueco	unknown origin	derogatory (Panama)
Swedish	bög	crooked	neutral, formerly derogatory
Swedish	bajspackare	fudge packer	derogatory
Swedish	fikus	ficus	derogatory
Swedish	stjärtlymmel	ass rascal	derogatory
Swedish	stjärtdykare	ass diver	derogatory
Tagalog	bakla	unknown; can also be used to describe things used by a male judged to be too effeminate (e.g. cosmetics, toiletries, clothing)	neutral or slightly derogatory
Tagalog	bading	unknown	neutral or slightly derogatory
Tagalog	baklita	unknown	neutral or slightly derogatory
Tagalog	binabae	effeminate	neutral
Tagalog	vaklush	unknown	neutral or slightly derogatory
Tagalog	vaklushii	unknown	neutral or slightly derogatory
Visayan	monmon	unknown	neutral or slightly derogatory
Turkish	eşcinsel	homosexual	neutral
Turkish	top	ball	derogatory
Turkish	nonoş	old meaning: "cute, dear", now slang for effeminate gays	derogatory
Turkish	yumuşak	soft	derogatory
Turkish	ibne	homosexual (Arabic lit. feminine form of 'son', like in German 'Sohnin')	derogatory
Turkish	kulampara	Persian for 'boy lover', used for top gay men, particularly those who like younger persons	archaic, derogatory
Welsh	hoyw	happy, jolly	neutral
Yiddish	פֿײגעלע (feygele)	"little bird" - a diminutive of bird (פֿויגל)	slightly derogatory
IsiZulu	unqingili	?	derogatory