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Always 'la jirafa', always 'la víctima': nouns with a fixed gender

In Spanish, many nouns for people and animals have one grammatical gender, and it stays the same whatever the sex of the person or animal. A man can be la víctima, a famous actor is una estrella, and a woman can be el personaje principal of a novel. Every giraffe is la jirafa and every shark is el tiburón, male or female.

English speakers often assume that grammatical gender follows biological sex, because pairs like el niño / la niña or el león / la leona are so common. With these fixed-gender nouns, changing the article to match the sex sounds wrong. You keep the noun as it is and, for animals, add macho or hembra when the sex matters.

Word list
personafA1 person always la persona, male or female pezmA1 fish always el pez, male or female abejafA2 bee always la abeja, male or female ángelmA2 angel always el ángel, male or female arañafA2 spider always la araña, male or female dinosauriomA2 dinosaur always el dinosaurio, male or female estrellafA2 star always la estrella, male or female estrella de cinefA2 movie star always la estrella de cine, male or female mariposafA2 butterfly always la mariposa, male or female mascotafA2 pet always la mascota, male or female moscafA2 fly always la mosca, male or female ratafA2 rat always la rata, male or female ratónmA2 mouse always el ratón, male or female ser humanomA2 human always el ser humano, male or female serpientefA2 snake always la serpiente, male or female tiburónmA2 shark always el tiburón, male or female tortugafA2 tortoise always la tortuga, male or female águilafB1 eagle always el águila, male or female ardillafB1 squirrel always la ardilla, male or female ballenafB1 whale always la ballena, male or female canguromB1 kangaroo always el canguro, male or female caracolmB1 snail always el caracol, male or female celebridadfB1 celebrity always la celebridad, male or female chimpancémB1 chimpanzee always el chimpancé, male or female cocodrilomB1 crocodile always el cocodrilo, male or female criaturafB1 creature always la criatura, male or female culebrafB1 snake always la culebra, male or female delfínmB1 dolphin always el delfín, male or female escorpiónmB1 scorpion always el escorpión, male or female espíritumB1 ghost always el espíritu, male or female fantasmamB1 ghost always el fantasma, male or female focafB1 seal always la foca, male or female gorilamB1 gorilla always el gorila, male or female hormigafB1 ant always la hormiga, male or female jirafafB1 giraffe always la jirafa, male or female mosquitomB1 mosquito always el mosquito, male or female murciélagomB1 bat always el murciélago, male or female pandamB1 panda always el panda, male or female papagayomB1 parrot always el papagayo, male or female personajemB1 character always el personaje, male or female pingüinomB1 penguin always el pingüino, male or female ranafB1 frog always la rana, male or female sapomB1 toad always el sapo, male or female víctimafB1 victim always la víctima, male or female aguamalafB2 jellyfish always la aguamala, male or female aguavivafB2 jellyfish always la aguaviva, male or female alacránmB2 scorpion always el alacrán, male or female aligátormB2 alligator always el aligátor, male or female anacondafB2 anaconda always la anaconda, male or female ángel de la guardamB2 guardian angel always el ángel de la guarda, male or female ángel protectormB2 guardian angel always el ángel protector, male or female avispafB2 wasp always la avispa, male or female bestiafB2 beast always la bestia, male or female búhomB2 owl always el búho, male or female caimánmB2 alligator always el caimán, male or female camaleónmB2 chameleon always el camaleón, male or female cangrejomB2 crab always el cangrejo, male or female catarinafB2 ladybird always la catarina, male or female cebrafB2 zebra always la cebra, male or female cigüeñafB2 stork always la cigüeña, male or female cisnemB2 swan always el cisne, male or female coalamB2 koala always el coala, male or female cobrafB2 cobra always la cobra, male or female cucarachafB2 cockroach always la cucaracha, male or female cuervomB2 crow always el cuervo, male or female escarabajomB2 beetle always el escarabajo, male or female espectromB2 ghost always el espectro, male or female gusanomB2 worm always el gusano, male or female halcónmB2 falcon always el halcón, male or female hámstermB2 hamster always el hámster, male or female hipopótamomB2 hippopotamus always el hipopótamo, male or female individuomB2 individual always el individuo, male or female jaguarmB2 jaguar always el jaguar, male or female koalamB2 koala always el koala, male or female lagartijafB2 lizard always la lagartija, male or female langostafB2 lobster always la langosta, male or female lechuzafB2 owl always la lechuza, male or female lombrizfB2 worm always la lombriz, male or female mariquitafB2 ladybird always la mariquita, male or female medusafB2 jellyfish always la medusa, male or female monstruomB2 monster always el monstruo, male or female morsafB2 walrus always la morsa, male or female panterafB2 panther always la pantera, male or female personaje principalmB2 protagonist always el personaje principal, male or female pez doradomB2 goldfish always el pez dorado, male or female pulpomB2 octopus always el pulpo, male or female pumamB2 puma always el puma, male or female rayafB2 ray always la raya, male or female renomB2 reindeer always el reno, male or female rinocerontemB2 rhinoceros always el rinoceronte, male or female sardinafB2 sardine always la sardina, male or female unicorniomB2 unicorn always el unicornio, male or female víborafB2 viper always la víbora, male or female zancudomB2 mosquito always el zancudo, male or female alcemC1 moose always el alce, male or female anguilafC1 eel always la anguila, male or female arcángelmC1 archangel always el arcángel, male or female arenquemC1 herring always el arenque, male or female avestruzmC1 ostrich always el avestruz, male or female avispónmC1 hornet always el avispón, male or female bogavantemC1 lobster always el bogavante, male or female buitremC1 vulture always el buitre, male or female caballito de marmC1 sea horse always el caballito de mar, male or female calamarmC1 squid always el calamar, male or female caribúmC1 reindeer always el caribú, male or female carpafC1 carp always la carpa, male or female chacalmC1 jackal always el chacal, male or female cigarrafC1 cicada always la cigarra, male or female cobayafC1 guinea pig always la cobaya, male or female conejillo de IndiasmC1 guinea pig always el conejillo de Indias, male or female cuymC1 guinea pig always el cuy, male or female erizomC1 hedgehog always el erizo, male or female estrella de marfC1 starfish always la estrella de mar, male or female flamencomC1 flamingo always el flamenco, male or female gacelafC1 gazelle always la gacela, male or female gaviotafC1 seagull always la gaviota, male or female geniomC1 genius always el genio, male or female guepardomC1 cheetah always el guepardo, male or female hienafC1 hyena always la hiena, male or female leopardomC1 leopard always el leopardo, male or female libélulafC1 dragonfly always la libélula, male or female nutriafC1 otter always la nutria, male or female ostrafC1 oyster always la ostra, male or female pelícanomC1 pelican always el pelícano, male or female perezosomC1 sloth always el perezoso, male or female pez espadamC1 swordfish always el pez espada, male or female polillafC1 moth always la polilla, male or female pulgafC1 flea always la pulga, male or female salamandrafC1 salamander always la salamandra, male or female saltamontesmC1 grasshopper always el saltamontes, male or female sanguijuelafC1 leech always la sanguijuela, male or female termitafC1 termite always la termita, male or female topomC1 mole always el topo, male or female truchafC1 trout always la trucha, male or female acuremC2 guinea pig always el acure, male or female alondrafC2 lark always la alondra, male or female anfibiomC2 amphibian always el anfibio, male or female babosafC2 slug always la babosa, male or female bagremC2 catfish always el bagre, male or female caballafC2 mackerel always la caballa, male or female cascabelfC2 rattlesnake always la cascabel, male or female chivo expiatoriomC2 scapegoat always el chivo expiatorio, male or female ciempiésmC2 centipede always el ciempiés, male or female colibrímC2 hummingbird always el colibrí, male or female cuclillomC2 cuckoo always el cuclillo, male or female cucomC2 cuckoo always el cuco, male or female cucúmC2 cuckoo always el cucú, male or female garzafC2 heron always la garza, male or female golondrinafC2 swallow always la golondrina, male or female langostafC2 locust always la langosta, male or female limacomC2 slug always el limaco, male or female lincemC2 lynx always el lince, male or female mantisfC2 mantis always la mantis, male or female mapachemC2 raccoon always el mapache, male or female ornitorrincomC2 platypus always el ornitorrinco, male or female orugafC2 caterpillar always la oruga, male or female pájaro carpinteromC2 woodpecker always el pájaro carpintero, male or female pez gatomC2 catfish always el pez gato, male or female picaflormC2 hummingbird always el picaflor, male or female presafC2 prey always la presa, male or female puercoespínmC2 porcupine always el puercoespín, male or female renacuajomC2 tadpole always el renacuajo, male or female ruiseñormC2 nightingale always el ruiseñor, male or female serpiente de cascabelfC2 rattlesnake always la serpiente de cascabel, male or female siluromC2 catfish always el siluro, male or female títeremC2 puppet always el títere, male or female topomC2 mole always el topo, male or female verdelmC2 mackerel always el verdel, male or female
How it works

The article and any adjectives agree with the noun's grammatical gender, not with the real sex. So you say la víctima está herida even when the victim is a man, and el tiburón es peligroso for a female shark.

To say which sex an animal is, put the unchanging word macho (male) or hembra (female) after the noun. The article does not change, and neither do macho and hembra: una jirafa macho, un cocodrilo hembra. In the plural, they usually stay the same too: dos ballenas macho.

El zoo tiene una jirafa macho y dos hembras.
(The zoo has a male giraffe and two females.)
El tiburón hembra es más grande que el macho.
(The female shark is bigger than the male.)

Rule of thumb: if a noun names a person or animal and has no common opposite-gender form, keep its gender fixed.

The words
People

persona, víctima, criatura, estrella, estrella de cine and celebridad are always feminine. personaje, personaje principal and genio are always masculine.

Juan es una persona muy amable.
(Juan is a very kind person.)
La víctima, un hombre de 40 años, está herida.
(The victim, a 40-year-old man, is injured.)
Mi primo es una estrella de cine en su país.
(My cousin is a movie star in his country.)
Ella es el personaje principal de la serie.
(She is the main character of the series.)
Feminine animals

Mammals: jirafa, ballena, ardilla, pantera, cebra, foca, morsa, nutria, hiena. Reptiles and amphibians: serpiente, anaconda, cobra, víbora, tortuga, rana, salamandra. Insects and spiders: araña, abeja, hormiga, mosca, cucaracha, mariposa, avispa, pulga, libélula, cigarra, termita, oruga, mantis, mariquita, polilla. Sea life: medusa, estrella de mar, anguila, raya, trucha, sardina, caballa, carpa. Birds: águila, gaviota, golondrina, garza, cigüeña, alondra. General words: mascota, bestia.

Es una araña hembra muy grande.
(It's a very big female spider.)
Nuestra tortuga es macho, pero la llamamos Lola.
(Our turtle is male, but we call it Lola.)
Masculine animals

tiburón, delfín, cocodrilo, caimán, gorila, chimpancé, hipopótamo, rinoceronte, koala, mapache, murciélago, ornitorrinco, pulpo, mosquito, escarabajo, pingüino, búho, cuervo, buitre, avestruz.

El delfín hembra nada con su cría.
(The female dolphin is swimming with her calf.)
Solo pican los mosquitos hembra.
(Only female mosquitoes bite.)
Watch out

águila takes el in the singular because it starts with a stressed a, but it is still feminine: el águila es rápida, las águilas. Don't read that el as masculine.

El águila hembra es muy protectora.
(The female eagle is very protective.)

With genio and personaje, you may hear una genio or la personaje in casual speech. The safe, standard choice is still the masculine.

Don't confuse these nouns with words like el testigo / la testigo or el estudiante / la estudiante, where the article does change with the person's sex. Also watch for animals that do have a pair, such as perro / perra or león / leona.

The typical mistake is el víctima or la tiburón. Change the words around the noun, never the article.

Summary

Some nouns for people and animals have one fixed gender: la persona, la víctima, la jirafa, el tiburón. Keep the article and adjective endings matching the noun, whatever the real sex, and add macho or hembra after an animal noun when you need to say which sex it is.