<p>雄雌 is used for nature science
男女 is used for human beings.
公母 is used for animals</p>

<p>ram > 公羊
ewes > 母羊</p>

<p>rooster > 公鸡
hen > 母鸡 </p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-06T10:41:59.707Z
2014-03-06T10:41:59.707Z
user4131
<pre><code>男女 is used only for humans.
公母 is only used on animals.
雄雌 is used for anything except humans, including animals, plants, etc.
雄雌 is often used in biology, because it sounds very academic and scientific.
</code></pre>

<p>男人    male person (i.e. man)</p>

<p>女人     female person (i.e. woman)</p>

<p>公鸡/雄鸡    male chicken (i.e. cock, rooster)</p>

<p>母鸡(rarely 雌鸡)   female chicken (i.e. hen)</p>

<p>雄蕊   male pistil (i.e. stamen)</p>

<p>雌蕊    female pistil (i.e. carpel)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-06T00:55:57.803Z
2014-03-06T01:28:58.750Z
2014-03-06T01:28:58.750Z
Victor
<p>In addition to the accepted answer, I add some more use cases here, for those that interested in.</p>

<p>When suffix with "性", you can say <strong>"男性/女性"</strong>, <strong>"雄性/雌性"</strong>, but NOT <del>”公性/母性"</del> for male/female (use the former for human being and the later for other species). <strong>"母性”</strong> is valid but means “maternity”。If use <strong>"雄性/雌性"</strong> for human being, you are likely talking about specie <a href="http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Homo_sapiens" rel="nofollow">Homo sapiens</a>.</p>

<p>You can also use "公/母“ for things that does not alive. If you have a VGA  extension cable, you call the head with pins "公的”， the other head (with holes) "母的“。In this case ,neither "男/女" or "雄/雌” can be used.</p>

<p>There are also some tricky things here. Sometimes you want to combine two word together. This can be done as "男女“，”雌雄“(!) and "公母". Be careful that it is not <del>"雄雌"</del> (this is only valid in ancient Chinese texts)!.</p>

<p>For "男女", you can also replicate it to say <strong>"男男女女"</strong>, but not <del>"公公母母”</del> or <del>"雌雌雄雄“</del>。</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-02T12:04:57.863Z
2014-03-02T12:04:57.863Z
Earth Engine
<p>男女 is used only for humans. </p>

<p>公母 is normally used on animals. </p>

<p>雄雌 is more academic.</p>

<p>公母 is usually used with terms closer to everyday life: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>公鸡 / 母鸡 <em>gōngjī / mǔjī</em> for cock / hen</p>
</blockquote>

<p>For biological terminology, usually 雄 / 雌 would be used: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>雄蕊 / 雌蕊 <em>xióngruǐ / cīruǐ</em> for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamen" rel="nofollow">stamen</a> / <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynoecium" rel="nofollow">carpel</a></p>
</blockquote>

<hr>

<p>Here are more characters for "male" or "female":</p>

<p>郎猫＝公猫</p>

<p>米猫＝母猫</p>

<p>儿马＝公马</p>

<p>骒马＝母马</p>

<p>草驴＝母驴</p>

<p>叫驴＝公驴</p>

<p>牡＝公的</p>

<p>牝＝母的</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-02T12:16:59.963Z
Just to summarize ,  男女 for Humans, 公母 for animals, and to be more scientific 雄雌.
user3992
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-06T01:32:01.497Z
@user3992 男女 for humans, 公母 for animals, 雄雌 for animals and plants. (Nobody use 雄雌 for humans.)
Victor
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-06T19:06:55.210Z
公母 can also be used for human. In my dialect(northeast), we say 公母俩 to mean "husband and wife". We can also use 公母 on human in humorous ways. For example, if someone mistakes a girl for a guy (maybe the girl has short hair and wears a suit and tie), then we can tease that person saying: 你怎么分不清公母啊？ 雄雌 can be used for human for sure. One sentence in 《木兰诗》 goes: 安能辨我是雄雌？The word 英雄 is well-known, but there is also 英雌(means 女英雄) but not used very often.
孤影萍踪
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-07T05:49:52.153Z
@songyuanyao I wonder why you are always talking about 文言文 (ancient Chinese) rather than 白话文 (modern Chinese) ? Do you think that the poster is asking the archaic language?   According to your logic, you should talk about Old English (Anglo-Saxon) in English forum. I believe that the poster is obvious asking the modern Chinese rather than archaic Chinese.
Victor
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-03-07T05:56:41.257Z
@孤影萍踪 I don't think the poster is asking about the usage in 文言文 (archaic Chinese). Otherwise he/she would not post on a Chinese forum with English interface, rather than only Chinese characters.
Victor
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-09T16:49:15.017Z
2014-03-07T18:01:35.693Z
2014-03-07T18:01:35.693Z
fefe
<p>In what situations would you use one of the following instead of the others? </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>男女 <em>nán nǚ</em></p>
  
  <p>公母 <em>gōng mǔ</em></p>
  
  <p>雄雌 <em>xióng cí</em></p>
</blockquote>

<p>Is it a matter of formality or is each term confined to a particular field (e.g. biology)?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-09T14:16:00.687Z
We have another pair called 公母.
fefe
CC BY-SA 3.0
2012-01-09T14:28:05.067Z
Thanks fefe, I have edited the question to include that pair.
Bjorn
<word-choice>
 What are the differences between 男女, 公母, and  雄雌?
#  What are the differences between 男女, 公母, and  雄雌?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2012-01-09)

In what situations would you use one of the following instead of the others?

> 男女 *nán nǚ*
>
> 公母 *gōng mǔ*
>
> 雄雌 *xióng cí*

Is it a matter of formality or is each term confined to a particular field (e.g. biology)?

**Tags:** word-choice

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: We have another pair called 公母.  
> **username_0**: Thanks username_1, I have edited the question to include that pair.  

---

## 4 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2012-01-09. Score: 7 | Accepted answer

男女 is used only for humans.

公母 is normally used on animals.

雄雌 is more academic.

公母 is usually used with terms closer to everyday life:

> 公鸡 / 母鸡 *gōngjī / mǔjī* for cock / hen

For biological terminology, usually 雄 / 雌 would be used:

> 雄蕊 / 雌蕊 *xióngruǐ / cīruǐ* for [stamen](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stamen) / [carpel](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gynoecium)

---

Here are more characters for "male" or "female":

郎猫＝公猫

米猫＝母猫

儿马＝公马

骒马＝母马

草驴＝母驴

叫驴＝公驴

牡＝公的

牝＝母的

> **Comments:**
> **username_5**: Just to summarize ,  男女 for Humans, 公母 for animals, and to be more scientific 雄雌.  
> **username_3**: @username_5 男女 for humans, 公母 for animals, 雄雌 for animals and plants. (Nobody use 雄雌 for humans.)  
> **username_6**: 公母 can also be used for human. In my dialect(northeast), we say 公母俩 to mean "husband and wife". We can also use 公母 on human in humorous ways. For example, if someone mistakes a girl for a guy (maybe the girl has short hair and wears a suit and tie), then we can tease that person saying: 你怎么分不清公母啊？ 雄雌 can be used for human for sure. One sentence in 《木兰诗》 goes: 安能辨我是雄雌？The word 英雄 is well-known, but there is also 英雌(means 女英雄) but not used very often.  
> **username_3**: @songyuanyao I wonder why you are always talking about 文言文 (ancient Chinese) rather than 白话文 (modern Chinese) ? Do you think that the poster is asking the archaic language?   According to your logic, you should talk about Old English (Anglo-Saxon) in English forum. I believe that the poster is obvious asking the modern Chinese rather than archaic Chinese.  
> **username_3**: @username_6 I don't think the poster is asking about the usage in 文言文 (archaic Chinese). Otherwise he/she would not post on a Chinese forum with English interface, rather than only Chinese characters.  

---

### Answer by username_2 on 2014-03-06. Score: 1

雄雌 is used for nature science
男女 is used for human beings.
公母 is used for animals

ram > 公羊
ewes > 母羊

rooster > 公鸡
hen > 母鸡


---

### Answer by username_3 on 2014-03-06. Score: 0

男女 is used only for humans.
公母 is only used on animals.
雄雌 is used for anything except humans, including animals, plants, etc.
雄雌 is often used in biology, because it sounds very academic and scientific.

男人    male person (i.e. man)
女人     female person (i.e. woman)
公鸡/雄鸡    male chicken (i.e. cock, rooster)
母鸡(rarely 雌鸡)   female chicken (i.e. hen)
雄蕊   male pistil (i.e. stamen)
雌蕊    female pistil (i.e. carpel)


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2014-03-02. Score: 0

In addition to the accepted answer, I add some more use cases here, for those that interested in.

When suffix with "性", you can say **"男性/女性"**, **"雄性/雌性"**, but NOT ~~”公性/母性"~~ for male/female (use the former for human being and the later for other species). **"母性”** is valid but means “maternity”。If use **"雄性/雌性"** for human being, you are likely talking about specie [Homo sapiens](http://species.wikimedia.org/wiki/Homo_sapiens).

You can also use "公/母“ for things that does not alive. If you have a VGA extension cable, you call the head with pins "公的”， the other head (with holes) "母的“。In this case ,neither "男/女" or "雄/雌” can be used.

There are also some tricky things here. Sometimes you want to combine two word together. This can be done as "男女“，”雌雄“(!) and "公母". Be careful that it is not ~~"雄雌"~~ (this is only valid in ancient Chinese texts)!.

For "男女", you can also replicate it to say **"男男女女"**, but not ~~"公公母母”~~ or ~~"雌雌雄雄“~~。


---

